WALES

Buildings Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the costs of repair and renovation work to the buildings of the Welsh Office in each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: Repair and renovation costs are not separately recorded but account for most of the Department's capital expenditure which was: £8,000 in 1999–2000; £299,000 in 2000–01; £21,000 in 2001–02; and has been £5,000 in 2002–03 to date.

Entertainment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimate is of the total spending of his Department in all forms of entertainment in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office came into existence in July 1999. It spent some £21,000 on hospitality in 2000–01 and some £8,000 in 2001–02. In the current year to date it has spent some £6,000. Figures for 1999–2000 are not readily available.

Fraud and Theft

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been lost by his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, through (a) fraud and (b) theft in each year since 1996–97.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office was created on 1 July 1999 and has no NDPBs.
	There has been no reported theft or fraud against this office.

Ministers' Tenures

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh Office Ministers there have been in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: From 1993 to 30 June 1999 the Welsh Office had three Ministers. Since 1 July 1999 the Wales Office has had two Ministers.

Press Releases

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many press releases were issued by his Department in each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The figures for press releases issued by the Wales Office since 1999 are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of press releases 
		
		
			 1999–2000 30 
			 2000–01 100 
			 2001–02 86 
			 2002–03 129

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 749W.

Special Advisers/Press Officers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and at what cost in each year.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office came into being on 1 July 1999. It employs two special advisers and three press officers. Special advisers are paid in accordance with the national pay scales for special advisers. Costs of the press office are not separately recorded.

St. David's Day

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce a bank holiday for Wales on St. David's Day.

Don Touhig: The Government have carefully considered the case for the designation of St. David's Day as a bank holiday in Wales, but does not currently believe that an economic case has been made for any additional bank holidays throughout the UK.

Theft and Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002.

Peter Hain: None.

University Research Funding

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the level of central Government funding for university research was for the current year in Wales, per head of population.

Don Touhig: Funding for university research in Wales is delivered largely by research councils and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).
	Research councils are sponsored by the Office of Science and Technology (OST) on a UK-wide basis. Figures are not yet available for the academic year 2002–03. The latest available figures are for 2000–01 when the total amount provided by the research councils to Welsh higher education institutes was £23,007,000.
	HEFCW's budget is provided by the National Assembly for Wales out of the Welsh block voted by Parliament, but it is a matter for the National Assembly how much funding it allocates to HEFCW. HEFCW contributed £54.6 million in 2000–01 towards university research.
	Using the latest population estimates for Wales provided by the Office for National Statistics of around 2,903,200 people, Central Government funding can be estimated at approximately £7.93 per head of population for 2000–01. If both central Government (research councils) and HEFCW funding are taken into account, this rises to £26.76.
	In addition, Government Departments fund individual research projects. However, a total figure is not available.

TRANSPORT

Freight Facilities Grant

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Freight Facilities Grant was paid in each year since 1997; and how much is planned to be paid in each year under the 10 year plan (a) at current prices and (b) at outturn prices, broken down by organisations in receipt of such grants.

David Jamieson: The following table shows UK Freight Facilities Grants for the five years from 1997 and the next three years at current and outturn prices:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Current Outturn 
		
		
			 1997–98 9.3 8.4 
			 1998–99 10.3 9.6 
			 1999–2000 12.7 12.1 
			 2000–01 20.4 19.9 
			 2001–02 59.5 (1)59.5 
			 2002–03 56.5 (2)57.9 
			 2003–04 63.9 (2)67 
			 2004–05 62.6 (2)67.2 
			 2005–06 61.8 (2)68 
		
	
	(1) 2001–02 and 2002–03 include some rephasing for change to resource accounting.
	(2) Indicative budgets.
	Note:
	GDP deflator 2001–02 applied.
	The FFG scheme is demand led and it is not therefore possible to say how much will be paid to individual organisations over the period of the 10 year plan.

Track Access Grant

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much track access grant aid was paid to freight operators, broken down by company, in each year since 1992 (a) at current prices and (b) at outturn prices.

David Jamieson: The first track access grant to a freight operator was awarded in 1995 and paid the following year. The following table shows annual payments of track access grant. Details of awards to specific companies are commercially confidential.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1996–97 12.2 
			 1997–98 21.3 
			 1998–99 19.3 
			 1999–2000 17.2 
			 2000–01 13.9 
			 2001–02 19.9

DEFENCE

Armoured Vehicles

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Warrior, (b) Challenger II, (c) Challenger I, (d) AS90, (e) FV430 series and (f) MLRS armoured vehicles have been written off in accidents in the past five years.

Adam Ingram: Over the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2002, two AS90 self propelled artillery systems and one FV 430 Armoured Fighting Vehicle have been written off in accidents.

Civilian Victims (Compensation)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions exist for compensating (a) injured civilian victims and (b) the surviving families of civilians killed as a result of military action taken against another sovereign state; and what his policy is on compensating civilian victims of military action taken to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: Article 91 of the First Protocol to the Geneva Conventions 1949 provides that a party to an international armed conflict which violates the provisions of the Conventions or the Protocol "shall, if the case demands, be liable to pay compensation."
	Coalition aircraft monitoring the no fly zones over Iraq respond in self-defence only to the sustained efforts of Iraq's defences to shoot them down. They do so, in accordance with international law, only against targets posing a threat to the safety of our forces. No liability to pay compensation arises.

Departmental Expenditure

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the (a) estimated gross expenditure, (b) authorised appropriations in aid, (c) supply grant, (d) gross expenditure, (e) appropriations in aid applied, (f) net expenditure, (g) amount to be surrendered to the consolidated fund and (h) extra receipts payable to the consolidated fund were in 2001–02, in cash terms, broken down by vote;
	(2)  what the (a) grant and (b) expenditure for the Ministry of Defence were in cash terms, broken down by top level budget holder, in 2001–02.

Adam Ingram: In accordance with the Government Resource Accounting Act 2000, the Department's financial performance is reported to Parliament in the Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts. The 2001–02 accounts were laid on 21 November 2002 (HC47). Copies are available in the Library of the House. The Department is not required to, and does not, account for cash under the headings upon which information is sought. Cash requirements are accounted for at departmental level, and details of estimate and outturn are included in Schedule 1 of the Resource Accounts.

Depleted Uranium

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use has been made of depleted uranium ammunition on live training exercises in training areas in Wales by (a) UK armed forces and (b) the armed forces of other countries since 1980.

Lewis Moonie: Depleted uranium ammunition has never been fired on any military training exercise in the United Kingdom.

Royal Navy Resources

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the (a) allocation and (b) cost of Royal Naval resources used to assist the UK community during (i) the foot-and-mouth crisis and (ii) the firefighters' strike.

Adam Ingram: The aggregation of many of the Ministry of Defence's resources into central and tri-service budgetary organisations makes it impossible to provide a comprehensive picture of Royal Naval resources used on deployments such as those cited by the hon. Member. The number of personnel and amount of equipment used are, moreover, constantly changing in the course of a deployment lasting several months. It is estimated that around 180 RN personnel and their equipment were assisting the United Kingdom community at the height of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The bulk of the cost of RN resources will have fallen to the two distinct naval budget areas, those of the Commanders-in-Chief Fleet and Naval Home Command, which between them incurred additional expenditure of around £200K. MOD recovered these additional costs from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	An estimated 3,000 RN personnel and their equipment were deployed on a typical strike day during the firelighters' industrial action in November 2002. It is too early to estimate how much the military assistance has cost to date, because the costs incurred since November have yet to be fully captured through the Ministry of Defence's central cost reporting system. The additional costs for the two budget areas referred to in the first part of this statement are expected to be of the order of £800K for the period to 30 November. These costs will be recovered from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Gas Masks

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether defects have been found in S10 gas masks supplied to armed forces units; and what inspections are routinely made.

Adam Ingram: There have been no defects reported in relation to the S10 Respirator supplied to the armed forces. Units are required to carry out routine inspections at regular intervals and prior to operations.

Helicopters

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the serviceability rate is of (a) Gazelle, (b) Lynx, (c) Sea King, (d) Chinook and (e) Puma helicopters (i) on operations, (ii) for training and exercises and (iii) overall.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  to what extent HMS Glasgow will be able to fulfil the specialist functions of HMS Nottingham as developed in her 1999–2000 refit;
	(2)  when HMS Glasgow was placed in extended readiness; and when she is expected to be fully operational;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the (a) air defence and (b) anti-terrorist maritime capabilities of HMS Glasgow in comparison with those of HMS Nottingham.

Adam Ingram: While the Type 42 Destroyer, HMS Glasgow, will help ease the short term programming gap in the Fleet created by the unavailability of HMS Nottingham, she is not a direct replacement for that ship. Although both ships are designed to provide area air defence, either independently or as an integral component of larger joint or coalition maritime Task Groups, Glasgow does not have the enhanced air defence capability to take over HMS Nottingham's programme. However, there is no difference between the "anti-terrorism" capabilities provided by the two ships.
	HMS Glasgow was placed at extended readiness from May 2002 (Official Report 2 May 2002, column 965W). Further to the answer given to the hon. Member on 27 November 2002 (Official Report, column 334W), Glasgow's return to service is delayed by the requirement to provide personnel to Operation Fresco.

Warships

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Sovereign is fully operational; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: HMS Sovereign has recently completed a long period of maintenance and is currently undertaking the training required, which will return her to a full operational state of readiness.

Oilfield Platforms (Terrorists)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of possible terrorist threats to UK oilfield platforms.

David Blunkett: I have been asked to reply.
	All terrorist threats to the UK and to UK interests overseas are monitored very closely. This is an ongoing process. In doing so, we bear in mind the need for vigilance and for a measured, proportionate response which does not generate unnecessary public alarm.

Pilots

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the requirement is for (a) Sea Harrier pilots and (b) Harrier GR7 pilots; and how many there are in each case.

Adam Ingram: The position as at 15 January 2003 is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Aircraft Requirement Strength 
		
		
			 Sea Harrier (3)72 48 
			 Harrier GR7 (4)69 (5)68 
		
	
	(3) The Sea Harrier pilot requirement includes 'cockpit' and career broadening appointments in the Royal Navy, plus a training margin. Both front line squadrons are fully manned and forecast to remain so for the foreseeable future.
	(4) The Harrier GR7 requirement comprises wing commander, squadron leader and junior officer posts on front line squadrons, operational conversion units, operational evaluation units and wing appointments. In addition to these established flying posts, fast jet pilots are required for instructional duties within the RAF's flying training system, overseas exchange posts, the RAF Aerobatic Team and a number of ground posts shared by all serving in the General Duties Branch.
	(5) Figure includes three Royal Navy officers flying GR7 aircraft. These officers are acting as pathfinders for the scheme under which Joint Force Harrier will gradually migrate to a fleet equipped with GR7/GR9 aircraft.

Radio Mast (Lagopatria)

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in erecting a radio mast in Lagopatria, north of Naples, to provide broadcasting services for the Armed Forces South British Services community.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is not currently seeking to erect a radio mast at Lagopatria (or any other location in the Naples area) to provide a British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio channel for United Kingdom personnel serving at HQ Allied Forces, South. The provision of such a facility is not currently assessed to be a high priority against other welfare needs or against the size of the service population who might benefit. The erection of such a mast could, in any event, only proceed with the prior approval of the Italian authorities, for both its construction and the use of a viable radio frequency. The Italian authorities have previously declined to grant the use of such a frequency.

RAF (Contractors)

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place for evaluating the financial stability of contractors working on behalf of the RAF.

Adam Ingram: Works requirements are advertised in the Ministry of Defence Contracts Bulletin, and where appropriate, the Official Journal of the European Community. The adverts request that companies wishing to express an interest in tendering submit specific details to demonstrate their financial standing. This will normally be confirmation of the firms registration on Construction Line (a database jointly maintained by Department of Trade & Industry and Capita on behalf of all Government Departmens), details of a companies registration with an official list maintained by another Member State, or a statement of the firms overall turnover and turnover on construction works over the last three years.
	Tender lists are thus drawn up using contractors of proven and established financial health, workload and performance.
	The financial standing of contractors is regularly monitored and vetting is carried out where appropriate.
	As a result of signs that the company might be in trouble the financial standing of Inframan Ltd was under review just prior to the company going into administration on 12 December 2002

RAF Leuchars

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Inframan Ltd. and its continuing role at RAF Leuchars.

Adam Ingram: Inframan Ltd. was placed into Administration on 12 December 2002. Grant Thornton were appointed as administrators of Inframan by the High Court of Justice.
	With effect from 19 December 2002 Grant Thornton concluded a transaction with Steill Ltd., a subsidiary of Alfred McAlpine plc, for acquisition of the assets of Inframan Ltd.
	It is intended that the existing contracts between Inframan Ltd. and the Ministry of Defence will shortly be transferred to the new owners.

RAF Leuchars

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is owed to sub-contractors in respect of work completed at RAF Leuchars.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information requested.

RAF Leuchars

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the main contractor at RAF Leuchars changed in 2002.

Adam Ingram: Hyder Infrastructure Management Ltd. were appointed the main contractor at RAF Leuchars in April 2001 following a competitive tender process to support Commander Royal Engineers (Airfield Section) re-role. Hyder Infrastructure Management Ltd. changed their trading name briefly to Inframan Ltd. by Special Resolution as provided by Section 28(1) of the Companies Act 1985. As a consequence the contract was amended to reflect the contractor's new name and the change referred to was in name only.

RAF Leuchars

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place for (a) reimbursing sub-contractors who are due monies from Inframan Ltd. and (b) allowing them to reclaim assets from RAF Leuchars for which they have not been paid.

Adam Ingram: Sub-contractors who are owed money by Inframan Ltd. should present their claim to the administrators, Grant Thornton, who were appointed administrators of Inframan Ltd. on 12 December 2002.
	Sub-contractors who wish to make a reservation of title claim in respect of stock supplied to Inframan Ltd. should equally present their claim to Grant Thornton.

RAF Leuchars

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sums have been paid to Inframan Ltd. in each month since their appointment as contractor to RAF Leuchars.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is withheld in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information as it is Commercial in Confidence.

SA80 Rifle

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the SA80; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The SA80 modification programme has significantly improved the reliability and performance of the weapon. Extensive trials were carried out across all climatic conditions before the modified weapon was introduced. More recent trials and demonstrations in Afghanistan and Oman have established beyond doubt that the weapon is reliable and accurate, and can be maintained in an operational environment.

Tomahawk

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which SSNs have been given Tomahawk capability; which further SSNs will be refitted with Tomahawk capability; and when these refits will take place.

Adam Ingram: The following RN SSNs have been made Tomahawk capable:
	HMS Splendid;
	HMS Triumph;
	HMS Trafalgar; and
	HMS Turbulent.
	Two more SSNs will be made Tomahawk capable this calendar year, with the remaining three receiving the capability by 2007. All Astute class SSNs will be made Tomahawk capable on build.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bio-waste

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's position on forthcoming EU negotiations on a bio-waste directive.

Margaret Beckett: I cannot at this stage be precise as we have yet to see a Commission proposal for a bio-waste directive. A proposal is expected to come forward later this year. In general terms, we will seek to protect UK interests, while negotiating constructively for a positive outcome. We recognise that a well thought out and relevant bio-waste directive could play an important role in achieving our aim of a sustainable waste management system.

Chewing Gum

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will meet the manufacturers of chewing gum to discuss the impact of their product on the environment; and if she will explore the potential for biodegradable chewing gum.

Alun Michael: At the suggestion of my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy), I met the Wrigley's company on 8 January to discuss the effect chewing gum has on the environment. The meeting was positive and we agreed to hold further discussions to explore measures that would help to minimise the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum.

Cod Fisheries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what evidential basis her Department stated that fisheries in cod related fisheries will be able to fish for 15 days per month, with reference to the terms of Annex "VII to regulation 2341/2002.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	Annex "VII to the Regulation provides in paragraph 6a for nine days at sea per month for fishing vessels carrying demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size equal to or greater than 100mm except beam trawls. Paragraphs 6b and 6c provide for the Commission to allocate additional days to Member States in certain circumstances. During the Council the Commission confirmed to me that on the basis of these paragraphs the UK will be allocated a further six days per month for vessels carrying the above gear types, bringing the total to 15.

Contracts

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies her Department and its predecessors have had contracts with since 1 May 1997; what the period of those contracts was; and what areas of work they (a) are and (b) have been involved in.

Alun Michael: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the equivalent figures were for 1997.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 16 January 2003, Official Report column 697W.

Drainage Boards

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legal rights drainage boards have to carry out their duties.

Elliot Morley: Internal drainage boards have powers to exercise a general supervision of all matters relating to the drainage of their districts. These are set out in the Land Drainage Act 1991.

Farm Subsidies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the cost to the average British family of all subsidies paid to the farming industry and to rural areas in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

Elliot Morley: Transfers to producers under agricultural policies take place through taxpayer expenditure and through higher prices to consumers. We estimate that the total average weekly cost, to a notional family of four, of all transfers under the CAP and UK national agricultural policies was between £11-£12 in 1999 and £9-£10 in 2000 (the latest year for which estimates are available).

Farm Values

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest calculation is of the change in the value of (a) farm land, (b) farm houses and (c) other farm buildings over the last 10 years.

Elliot Morley: Estimates are available only for the value of farm land and farm buildings combined. Estimates for the value of farm houses are not available
	The overall value of farm "land and buildings" in the UK increased by £43 billion, or 85 per cent. (52 per cent. in real terms) between 1993 and 2000. Estimates for years prior to 1993 are not comparable.
	Whilst estimates of the value of all farm land are not separately available, statistics are available on the average price of farm land sales. These show that the annual average price of agricultural land sold in England increased by £3,300 per hectare or 87 per cent. (55 per cent. in real terms) over the same period.

Farm Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in nitrate vulnerable zones.

Elliot Morley: Fifty eight waste grants have been awarded in nitrate vulnerable zones, since the start of the scheme tin 1996 to 31 December 2002.

Farm Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average size of farm waste grants was in the last period for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: The average size of farm waste grant paid, since the start of the scheme in 1996 to 31 December 2002, is £6,800.

Farm Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: No applications for farm waste grants have been received in Lancashire in each of the last five years. The Farm Waste Grant Scheme only operates in designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). NVZs were not designated in Lancashire until October 2002.

Farm Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in each of the regions; and how much each region has received.

Elliot Morley: The number of farm waste grants awarded so far and the number each region has received, since the start of the scheme in 1996 to 31 December 2002, is:
	
		
			  Number awarded Total grant awarded (£) Applications received Value of claims (£) 
		
		
			 South West 3 37,377 3 37,377 
			 East 17 93,512 18 118,766 
			 North West 4 35,230 6 44,592 
			 York and Humberside 3 9,078 3 9,078 
			 East Midlands 13 89,909 15 100,151 
			 South East 11 76,036 12 110,036 
			 West Midlands 7 53,218 8 72,129

Farmers (Compensation)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors spent on compensatory payments to farmers, broken down by (a) type and (b) region, in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: The amounts of compensatory payments made since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			 Scheme Scheme year payments (in £ million)  
		
		
			 — 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 
			 AAPS(6) 87.2 883.0 1,130.4 985.9 1,055.7 
			 SAPS(6) 59.4 105.4 143.0 167.7 117.6 
			 BSPS(6) 121.2 114.7 142.7 127.0 135.7 
			 ESP(6) 45.1 56.3 0 0 0 
			 SPS 33.1 26.1 0 0 0 
			 SCPS(6) 67.9 775 106.0 77.9 78.8 
			 HLCA Closed Closed 40.7 25.8 38.4 
			 HFA 39.0 42.6 0 0 0 
			 ERDP(7) 90.8 85.8 64.2 55.4 44.5 
			 DAIRY(8) 54.9 15.6 0 0 0 
		
	
	(6) Includes Agrimonetary compensation
	(7) Relates to Financial years.
	(8) Relates to calendar year payments.
	The information is not available broken down by regions.
	HFA applications are made in one year and paid in the Spring of the following year. Therefore the figure for 2001 is for applications made in 2000.

Fisheries (Aid)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Treasury regarding additional funding for aid to fishing communities since the agreement reached at the recent Fisheries Council;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive in respect of aid packages to fishing communities since the agreement reached at the Fisheries Council.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	In considering the need for funding for fishing communities I am discussing the issues both with other Whitehall Departments and the devolved administrations.

Flooding

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the chairmen of flood defence committees have to declare other jobs they hold.

Elliot Morley: All Defra appointments to Regional Flood Defence Committees are made following the Code of Practice of the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). On application for appointment, chairmen are asked to declare their present employment, other business interests, other public appointments and any other possible factors which may affect their suitability for appointment, including involvement in political activities. This information is updated regularly.
	There are also requirements under paragraph 14 of Schedule 5 to the Environment Act 1995 regarding declarations of interest by members of regional and local flood defence committees.

Flooding

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress with the flood defence scheme for the Silkstream, Edgware.

Elliot Morley: Operational responsibility for flood management measures rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency (EA) and local councils, who decide which projects to promote and their timing.
	The EA is not seeking Defra grant for their proposed flood defence scheme for the Silkstream, Edgware, but do require our approval given the scale of public funding involved. Defra is considering the EA's proposed scheme against the normal technical, economic and environmental criteria. In the meantime the EA are working on the detailed design and negotiating with landowners. Subject to the necessary agreements, the EA plan to start work by the winter of 2003 and expect the construction phase to take two to three years to complete.

Flooding

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood defence committees there are in England.

Elliot Morley: There are nine Regional Flood Defence Committees in England and one in Wales. There are statutory Local Flood Defence Committees in Anglian, Southern and Wessex Regions and in Wales. In the North West region there are three non-statutory advisory committees.
	All committees are listed below:
	Anglian Region
	Local committees (5): Lincolnshire, Welland and Nene, Great Ouse, Norfolk and Suffolk, Essex.
	Northumbrian Region
	No local committees.
	North West Region
	Non statutory advisory committees (3): Cumberland, Lancashire, Mersey and Weaver.
	Severn Trent Region
	No local committees.
	Southern Region
	Local committees (3): Isle of Wight and Hampshire, Sussex, Kent.
	South West Region
	No local committees.
	Thames Region
	No local committees.
	Wessex Region
	Local committees (3): Bristol Avon, Somerset, Avon and Dorset.
	Yorkshire Region
	No local committees.
	Wales
	Local committees (6): Dee and Clywd, Gwynedd, South West Wales, Wye, Usk, Glamorgan.

Flooding

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will advise insurance companies that premiums on flooding policies should relate directly to risk and not to the post code areas in which the property is situated.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	It is not for Government to advise insurance companies how they should calculate premiums. However, the Environment Agency are shortly to provide data to the Association of British Insurers which will enable them to develop a better understanding of the risk of flooding within a particular area.

Immunocapillary Electrophoresis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the research conducted by her Department and its non-departmental public bodies regarding the immunocapillary electrophoresis test;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the correlation between the immunocapillary electro -phoresis test and other pre-clinical tests; and if she will make a statement.
	(3)  what plans her Department has to evaluate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis (ICE) test in a large surveillance trial;
	(4)  what steps her Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) validate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis test with the European Union; and if she will make a statement.

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 
	(1)  how many sheep have been tested by her Department and its non-departmental public bodies using the immunocapillary electrophoresis test; and what proportion of sheep were identified as (a) scrapie-infected and (b) non-scrapie infected,
	(2)  if she will make a statement on her policy on the continuation of the application of the immunocapillary electrophoresis test.
	(3)  what assessment her Department has made of the use of the immunocapillary electrophoresis test for diagnostic purposes; and what steps she is taking to enable the test to be used throughout the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: holding answers 15, 16 and 20 January 2003
	DEFRA has commissioned the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to evaluate and further develop the ICE test (Immunocapillary Electrophoresis Test) with a view to its potential use in the pre-clinical diagnosis of BSE and scrapie. Work on this test has also been funded since September 2002 by the EU Commission with EU laboratories and the VLA under the Framework 5 Programme.
	The technology has been transferred from the USA and the test is still in the development phase. It has not yet been applied to field samples on a larger scale commercial level. Technical issues have had to be resolved, further improvements are envisaged, and the implementation of field case testing has been delayed by Foot and Mouth Disease.
	To date the ICE method has been used on sheep within a controlled scrapie-infected flock. The test has been shown to identify positive animals at certain stages of infection before clinical disease develops. Further work is being done to determine the exact age range in which positive animals can be identified. Scrapie-free animals give negative results with the test. The method therefore shows promise as a diagnostic tool but its use on a wide scale will be determined by the final characteristics of the test, in particular the optimum time for the test to be used to identify TSE positive sheep. Further validation will be required when the final test protocol is defined.
	In the absence of other validated confirmatory pre-clinical tests, the results from ICE testing are being correlated with biopsy materials and eventual post-mortem confirmation of infection in the tested sheep. Facilities to expand the use of the test for field sampling are in place at the VLA and sample materials have been collected to use in a validated test. The preparatory stages for samples in this test are relatively complex and require several days to process; this may limit the number of samples that can be processed and the scale of use of the test. Currently the ICE method remains the only non-invasive live animal test that has been developed to the potential for identifying TSE-infected sheep or sheep flocks.

Internal Drainage Boards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the internal drainage boards in England and Wales, broken down by constituency.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	The information is not available in the form requested. However, a list of drainage boards wholly or partly in England together with associated constituent councils has today been placed in the Libraries of the House. A map of internal drainage districts (Ref: PB 5455 Flood Defence and Land Drainage in England and Wales) is available from The Stationery Office. Flood defence is a fully devolved responsibility and the information relating to Boards in Wales should be sought from the National Assembly.

Internal Drainage Boards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) public and (b) other money internal drainage boards have received in each year since 1997; how much money internal drainage boards have spent in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	Internal drainage boards' income and expenditure is as follows:
	
		Internal drainage boards' income and expenditure -- £
		
			  Public Other Total  
		
		
			 Income  
			  
			 1999–2000 21,459,845 19,088,311 40,548,156 
			 2000–01 21,439,538 20,221,600 41,661,138 
			 2001–02 24,377,419 20,403,613 44,781,032 
			 Expenditure
			 1999–2000 40,721,041   
			 2000–01 41,983,118   
			 2001–02 43,305,755   
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The information for earlier years is not available other than at disproportionate cost. That for 2002–03 is not yet available; information is collected annually.
	2. The funding referred to as 'public money' comprises of special levies paid by local authorities, Environment Agency contributions and Government grants.

Internal Drainage Boards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of internal drainage boards in dealing with flood alleviation in England and Wales.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	There are 223 internal drainage boards (IDBs) in England, of greatly varying size, whose role is to secure the effective land drainage of their area. I believe that they generally perform this role well.
	The great majority of IDBs have produced policy statements setting out their approach to flood defence issues. IDBs have also generally played a full role in inspecting flood defences and watercourses, reporting the results to the Environment Agency as required under Defra's High Level Targets.
	The institutional arrangements for flood and coastal defence are currently being considered in the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review. While I see a continuing role for internal drainage boards I shall wish to ensure that their activities are compatible with wider Government policies and that they are organised in a way well fitted to the 21st Century.

Sheep (EU Regulations)

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the annual cost to the farming industry of the introduction of the EU draft regulations on the double-tagging of sheep; and what proportion of that cost she plans to meet from her Departmental budget.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 January 2003
	A full regulatory impact assessment is being prepared and officials will be seeking advice from key stakeholders to ensure that costs are accurately reflected.

Sickness Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

Alun Michael: Records are not yet available for the number of days lost due to sickness absence in 2002, but these will be announced in due course. Sickness absence figures for previous years are published in the Cabinet Office annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service", copies of which are placed in House Libraries.
	The Department is committed to the effective management of sickness absence, and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement target of reducing sickness absence to 6.9 days for 2003.

Sustainability

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with industries dependent on unsustainable activities to encourage a transition to more sustainable ways of earning their living.

Michael Meacher: Promoting sustainable business is a key objective of the UK Government's Sustainable Development Strategy 'A Better Quality of Life'. It has been highlighted as a priority in recent reports from the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit covering Resource Productivity, Energy and Waste. Encouraging sustainable consumption and production was also one of the key concerns at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
	Engaging with UK business forms an integral part of all of this work. Ministers and officials have frequent contact with business leaders through advisory bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (ACBE), the Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment (ACCPE), the Trades Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee (TUSDAC), and the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC).
	We have been working closely with business in the development and introduction of a range of initiatives, including the Climate Change Levy and its associated negotiated agreements, the Emissions Trading Scheme, and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
	We also engage with business in the course of work on Government sponsored support programmes such as Envirowise (which offers advice on waste minimisation), ActionEnergy (which offers advice on energy efficiency) and the 'Pioneers Group' (which provides practical advice to sectoral bodies in drawing up sector-wide strategies on sustainable development).
	This engagement will continue and expand as we take forward new initiatives, such as the implementation of the Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, in revising the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, and in responding to the recommendations of the Strategy Unit's report on waste.

Tallow

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much tallow produced under the over-thirty-months scheme has been sold (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas in each year since the scheme began; for what purpose it has been sold; and how much revenue has been raised from sales (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) overseas, in each year since the scheme began.

Alun Michael: In total over 213,000 tonnes of tallow from the over thirty month scheme (OTMS) have been sold for energy recovery. No OTMS tallow has been sold overseas. The OTMS began in 1996. Receipts for each financial year since together with details of the tonnage sold follow:
	
		
			 Financial Year Income (£) Tonnes sold 
		
		
			 1996–97 (9)— 21,356 
			 1997–98 (9)— 26,362 
			 1998–99 333,397.00 17,099 
			 1999–2000 1,454,308.00 31,223 
			 2000–01 968,638.00 35,105 
			 2001–02 857,855.28 31,518 
			 2002–03 (10)1,670,546.44 (11)50,399 
		
	
	(9) Income for tallow sales not separately identifiable. Included under general receipts
	(10) Invoice payments are outstanding
	(11) Tonnes sold to date

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Peace Process (Middle-East)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for peace and the cessation of terrorism in the middle-east.

Mike O'Brien: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has stated, urgent progress on the MEPP is essential. Our goal is to achieve an Israeli state free from terror, a viable Palestinian state based on 1967 boundaries. The Quartet is working on a roadmap to realise President Bush's goal of a final status agreement within three years. It represents best current chance of securing peace. I was pleased with the progress made at the London meeting, intended to support the Quartet's efforts, on Palestinian reform. We judge that this will have made a contribution towards both improving prospects for peace and clearing the way for a cessation of terror.

EU Enlargement

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the level of public awareness in the UK of the forthcoming enlargement of the EU.

Denis MacShane: The Eurobarometer survey of October 2002 suggests that 38 per cent. of the UK population are for enlargement, while 35 per cent. are against and 28 per cent. have no opinion. The Government accept the importance of informing public opinion on this matter and have recently stepped up its public information activities.

EU Enlargement

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU applicant countries on the Convention on the Future of Europe.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with colleagues in EU accession countries on many issues including the Convention on the Future of Europe.

North Korea

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek a change of nuclear policy by the Government of North Korea.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement to the press deploring North Korea's stated intention to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty on 10 January and has made representations to the North Korean Government through the Embassy in Pyongyang, in addition to holding regular discussions with key international partners on this issue.

North Korea

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has initiated with his counterparts in the UN Security Council concerning the withdrawal of North Korea from the Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has held bilateral discussions on this issue with a number of UN Security Council (UNSC) colleagues. We also expect the UN Security Council to discuss it.
	The Foreign Secretary issued a press statement 10 January expressing his deep concern about North Korea's recent actions. We subsequently delivered a similar message to the North Korean Government through our Embassy in Pyongyang. We also protested to the DPRK chargé d'affairs in London.

North Korea

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to normalise relations with North Korea since establishing diplomatic relations with it.

Bill Rammell: Diplomatic relations between the UK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were established in December 2000, and the British Embassy in Pyongyang opened on 30 July 2001. This established a channel of communication which has allowed us to address the North Korean authorities directly on issues of international concern, such as non-proliferation and human rights.

North Korea

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether North Korea possesses nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have no hard evidence that the North Koreans have produced nuclear weapons, but we assess that they have sufficient fissile material for one or two nuclear weapons, and the technical capability to produce them. In October 2002, North Korean Government officials admitted to the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State, James Kelly, that North Korea had been pursuing a secret uranium enrichment programme. If North Korea begins to re-process the spent fuel rods at Yongbyon, it is possible that they could be used to produce nuclear warheads within a matter of months.

North Korea

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the countries to which missile technology has been exported by North Korea; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: North Korea is the world's biggest supplier of ballistic missiles and related technology to countries of concern. Missiles are North Korea's most significant export and, by channelling profits back into the programme, an almost self-sustaining missile industry has been developed, supporting the requirements of both the domestic programme and the export market. North Korea has provided No Dong missile technology to Iran and Pakistan, enabling them to acquire their own versions. SCUD technology is also available for export, and has been sold to Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, UAE and Yemen. Over the last 15 years North Korea has exported at least 400 missiles

Israel/Palestine

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has initiated at the United Nations for a new resolution in relation to Israel and Palestine.

Mike O'Brien: Our immediate priority is the implementation of those resolutions already passed; most recently, Security Council Resolution 1435 of September 2002, which called for a complete cessation of violence, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian cities and action by the Palestinian Authority to bring those responsible for acts of terror to justice. The UK played a leading role in the adoption of this resolution. There are no plans for a further resolution in the near future, but we remain committed to further Security Council action whenever this might be useful.

Iraq

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ensure long-term stability in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained in his written statement of 7 January, our priority is to secure Iraqi compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, including on giving up weapons of mass destruction. We are working to ensure that Iraq becomes, in the Foreign Secretary's words, "a stable, united and law abiding state, within its present borders, co-operating with the international community, no longer posing a threat to its neighbours or to international security, abiding by all its international obligations and providing effective and representative government for its own people."

Iraq

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the action the UK Government will take should the UN decide not to take military action against Iraq.

Bill Rammell: In the event that there is a material breach, the preference of the British Government is for a second resolution. So far, the UN Security Council has, as Kofi Annan has said, "faced up to its responsibilities". We believe it will continue to do so. But we must reserve our position in the event that it does not.

Iraq

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the report from Iraq on weapons of mass destruction was not presented in its entirety to the UN.

Bill Rammell: Under relevant non-proliferation conventions, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America are obliged to prevent the dissemination of information relating to the production of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.
	The President of the UN Security Council therefore decided that the full Iraqi declaration should only be given to these members of the Security Council, who also have the expertise to assess the risks of proliferation. His decision followed consultations with all members of the Security Council.
	The other members received the main body of the Declaration excluding a number of sensitive passages and words that were omitted by UNMOVIC and the IAEA who, after consulting the Security Council members with expertise to assess the risks of proliferation, judged them to contain information that might be of use to potential WMD proliferators.

Iraq

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the preliminary findings of UN weapons inspectors about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We maintain regular contact with UNMOVIC and the IAEA about the progress of inspections. Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei will be reporting to the UN Security Council on 27 January 2003 Their report is expected to cover in some detail their initial findings and their impressions on the level of co-operation received. We will then be in a position to assess their findings.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the work of the weapons inspectors in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We maintain regular contact with UNMOVIC and the IAEA about the progress of inspections. Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei will be reporting to the UN Security Council on 27 January. We look forward to receiving their report.
	Dr. Blix had a meeting with my right hon. Friend The Prime Minister on Friday at which he told the Prime Minister that, while the inspectors had encountered no direct obstruction in carrying out their task, the onus was on Iraq to be more proactive in their cooperation.

African Great Lakes

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in the African Great Lakes region.

Bill Rammell: The situation in the Great Lakes is dominated by the conflicts in DRC and Burundi. Progress has been made in both countries recently, but there are still outstanding issues to be addressed before peace is fully achieved.

Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on UK adherence to the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABMT) is no longer in force between the US and Russia, and the UK was never a party to it.

Chechnya

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the forced repatriation of Chechen internally displaced persons from their displacement camps in Ingushetia; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The UK has played a prominent role in international efforts to press the Russian Government to halt the closure of internally displaced persons camps in the North Caucasus. Bilaterally, we have informed the Russian Government that the suspension of food, water and energy supplies to the camps constituted, in our view, a forced closure and reminded Russia of her obligations under the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. The UK has also initiated and helped draft a number of EU demarches, calling for the closure of the camps to be stopped. We were therefore encouraged by President Putin's statement last month that the closures should be halted. However, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and take further action if necessary.

Chernobyl

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the UK has made to the cost of sealing the nuclear reactors at Chernobyl; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The United Kingdom has pledged £25 million to the Chernobyl shelter project. Some of these funds were disbursed prior to 2001, while £16.6 million have been allocated from 2001 to 2004. The project is due to be completed in 2008.

Cyprus (Missing People)

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the new Turkish Government on what has happened to the people missing since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 20 January 2003
	We share the concerns of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities over the missing persons following the events of 1974. However, this is a humanitarian issue on which the UN Committee on Missing Persons, established in 1983, leads. We support the actions of the Committee and urge full co-operation with it.
	Such humanitarian concerns are among the many reasons why we urge both sides in Cyprus to achieve a settlement, based on the UN Secretary-General's proposals of 10 December, by the UN deadline of 28 February. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I reiterated Her Majesty's Government's support for an early settlement when we met Turkish Ministers at the Copenhagen European Council in December. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence did likewise during his visit to Ankara on 8 January.

Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Detailed information on administration costs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agency going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in Table 2 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5413). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

EU Diplomatic Service

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the recommendation of Working Group VII of the European Convention for an EU diplomatic service working under the authority of the proposed European External Representative; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We believe that it remains for EU member states to organise their respective bilateral Diplomatic Services at the national level, although co-ordination and co-location of diplomatic missions with EU partners may be appropriate. The External Action Working Group report makes clear that any EU Diplomatic Service would work alongside those of member states, not replace them.
	The recommendation in the Working Group report is not that member states' bilateral embassies should work under the authority of the High Representative, but that the Commission's delegations should be re-badged as EU embassies/delegations, staffed by officials of the Commission, Council Secretariat and seconded national diplomats. These officials would work formally under the authority of the High Representative on Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, and under the authority of the Commission for other aspects of external action.

Europe (Constitution)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the evidential basis was for the statement contained in a letter by Neil Sharp of his Office's European Union Department to the Democracy Movement that a constitution for Europe would not fundamentally change the relationship between the EU and its citizens, nor alter the position of the nation states as the fundamental basis of the European Union.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 9 January 2003
	The Praesidium of the European Convention issued its preliminary draft Constitutional Treaty on 28 October. This can be accessed through their website at: http://european-convention.eu.int/. It contains, as does the current EC Treaty, provision for union citizenship additional to nationality of the member states (Article 5), and makes clear (in Article 1) that the member states are the fundamental basis of the union. The Government would not agree to any constitution which changed this.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in the past month with the Spanish Foreign Minister regarding Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with the Spanish Foreign Minister in the margins of the European Summit in Copenhagen and he had a further telephone conversation with her on 18 December. Neither discussion concentrated on Gibraltar.

Greece (Violence against UK Tourists)

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) murders and (b) other serious crimes of violence were committed against UK nationals whilst on holiday in Greece in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The number of murders and other serious crimes of violence (including rape) committed against UK nationals in Greece, of which consular staff were notified, from 1998–2002, are as follows:
	
		Murders and serious crimes of violence committed against UK nationals in Greece notified to consular staff
		
			  Murders Serious crimes of violence 
		
		
			 1998 2 23 
			 1999 0 36 
			 2000 2 36 
			 2001 0 51 
			 2002 0 57

Guantanamo Bay

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) NGOs and (b) Amnesty International on Guantanamo Bay; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (and officials) have written to Amnesty International on the issues raised about Guantanamo Bay. The Foreign Secretary has not had discussions with other NGOs on the subject.
	We continue to encourage the US to move forward with the process of resolving the position of the detainees. The Foreign Secretary discussed Guantanamo Bay most recently with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, on 5 January.

Guantanamo Bay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the position under international law of those detained at Guantanamo Bay.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had regular discussions about the detention of British nationals at Guantanamo Bay with the US Secretary of State, most recently on 5 January. Whatever their status, the detainees are entitled to humane treatment, and if prosecuted, a fair trial. We have encouraged the US to move forward with the process of determining the detainees' future, and shall continue to do so.

Honduras (Child Murders)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of child murders in Honduras at the March meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Bill Rammell: We are deeply concerned by child murders in Honduras and we regularly raise our views.
	We are discussing with EU partners what action to take on Honduras at the forthcoming session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The UK, as part of the EU, will continue to support the CHR resolution on the Rights of the Child.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the initiatives taken by the United Kingdom since May 1997 in respect of furtherance of the aims of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has a very good record in fulfilling its NPT obligations. In furtherance of the aims of Article VI of The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the UK has, since May 1997:
	withdrawn and dismantled the RAF's freefall WE 177 nuclear bomb, so that Trident is now our only nuclear weapons system;
	reduced our operationally available stockpile to fewer than 200 warheads, which is a reduction of more than 70 per cent. in the potential explosive power of our nuclear forces since the end of the Cold War;
	dismantled the UK's last Chevaline warhead in April 2002;
	reduced the readiness of our nuclear forces. Only a single Trident submarine at a time is now on deterrent patrol, carrying 48 warheads. The submarine on patrol is normally on several days 'notice to fire' and its missiles are de-targeted;
	placed fissile material no longer required for defence purposes under international safeguards, and all enrichment and reprocessing facilities in the UK are now liable to international inspection;
	been more transparent about our nuclear and fissile material stockpiles and begun a national historical accounting study for fissile material produced;
	published an initial summary report on the verification of the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons. The Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston is undertaking work on this issue;
	ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and promoted its early entry into force;
	ratified the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Raratonga (South Pacific Nuclear Weapon Free Zone) and signed and ratified the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Pelindaba (African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone);
	supported Nuclear Weapon Free Zones in central Asia, south east Asia, and the middle east, and is in negotiations with the relevant states for the first two of these; and
	continued to press for negotiations to begin at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

Plutonium

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2003, Official Report, column 266W, on plutonium disposition, what proportion of the funds committed by the United Kingdom to the disposition of Russian plutonium is earmarked to convert the plutonium into MO" nuclear fuel.

Mike O'Brien: The United Kingdom has committed £70 milion over ten years to help Russia dispose of plutonium, as it agreed to under the 2000 US/Russia agreement. That agreement saw both Russia and the US commit to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium each. The Russian 34 tonnes will be disposed of as MO". The UK, unlike some other contributors, has not earmarked its funds for a particular purpose. We believe this programme to be an important part of our wider non-proliferation policy, as it will ensure that a substantial quantity of fissile material cannot fall into terrorist or criminal hands.

Public Service Agreement Targets

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish his autumn departmental reports on public service agreement targets; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We hope to publish the report in the next few weeks.

Religious Tolerance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with governments of other countries on protecting those who convert from Islam to other faiths, from (a) persecution and (b) arrest and punishment.

Bill Rammell: We condemn all instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief. Ministers and officials take every opportunity, including with our EU partners, to urge states to pursue laws and practices which foster tolerance and mutual respect and to protect religious minorities against discrimination, intimidation and attacks. The UK co-sponsored a resolution at the UN General Assembly in November, 2002 in New York, to work to eliminate all forms of religious intolerance. We regularly raise specific cases of religious persecution with the Governments concerned.

Russian Federation

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2003, ref 91205, when the Russian Federation has had its attention drawn to the need to put in place a legal framework satisfactory to donor countries.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has been engaged in both multilateral and bilateral negotiations with Russia on such a legal framework for some time, but these negotiations are yet to be concluded. Throughout the negotiating process, UK officials have taken every opportunity, both in the negotiations themselves and at appropriate international meetings, to resolve difficulties and to stress the importance of a legal framework. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the matter in discussions with the Russian President Putin in Moscow in October 2002. We hope the remaining legal obstacles can be overcome in the near future, and work can begin on this important programme.

Zimbabwe

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with African leaders on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Bill Rammell: We are in regular contact with African leaders about Zimbabwe. The crisis there is of concern to the entire region. Zimbabwe was discussed at two recent ministerial meetings attended by Baroness Amos: the EU-Southern African Development Community meeting in Maputo and the EU-Africa meeting in Ouagadougou, both in November 2002.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects he estimates reside in Zimbabwe; and how many have left in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: There are 26,000 British nationals registered with our high commission in Harare. We believe that in total there are approximately 35,000 British Nationals in Zimbabwe. We do not have precise numbers for those that have left Zimbabwe. However, based on contact with the British community and our consular warden network, we estimate that 2,000 British nationals may have left Zimbabwe in the past 12 months.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions banned representatives of the Zimbabwe Government have visited (a) the UK and (b) the EU in the last 12 months, and under what authority.

Mike O'Brien: Members of the Zimbabwe Government have been refused entry to the UK in line with the EU's travel ban.
	The EU Common Position of 18 February 2002 states that member states may grant exemptions from the travel ban where travel is justified on the grounds of attending meetings of international bodies. For this reason, the following Zimbabwean Government officials have visited the EU in the last six months.
	Aeneas Chigwedere, Minister of Education, Culture and Sports was in Paris for a UNESCO meeting on 9 and 10 January. Two junior ZANU(PF) Ministers, Christopher Kuruneri, Deputy Minister for Finance and Paul Mangwana, Minister of State for State Enterprises were in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in November 2002. This meeting broke down when the European Parliament refused to grant the Zimbabweans access to the building. ZANU (PF)'s Trade Minister, Samuel Mumbengegwi was in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in September. Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, was in Lyon for an Interpol meeting in August.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Howard Flight: To ask the Solicitor General when she expects the CPS to publish its autumn departmental reports on public service agreement targets; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I expect the autumn performance report of the Crown Prosecution Service to be published by the end of January, or shortly thereafter.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Appointments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Consultative Group since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The purpose of the Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Consultative Group is to advise the Radiocommunications Agency on a wide range of issues relating to the award of Broadband Fixed Wireless Access licences. There are over 200 members, representing telecommunications operators, manufacturers and others with an interest in the development of broadband fixed wireless access. It also has representatives from the Agency and its advisers and from other Government organisations. Members' salaries and expenses are met by themselves or their employers.

Appointments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who have been members of the Aerospace Committee since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The members of the Aerospace Committee since its inception are listed in the following table.
	Aerospace Committee members are unpaid, although travel expenses may be reimbursed.
	Mr. Larry Brooke, a member from March 1999 to December 2000, claimed travel expenses totalling £26.10.
	No other travel expenses have been requested or paid.
	
		Aerospace Committee membership list—1999 to date
		
			 Name Position Company/Institution Date 
		
		
			 Mr. Colin Green (Chairman) Director Rolls-Royce plc From March 1999 
			 Dr. David Anderson Managing Director Future Systems Technology QinetiQ From April 2002 
			 Mr. Norman Barber Chairman Smiths Industries plc Until May 2000 
			 Mr. Martin Broadhurst Managing Director Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace Ltd. From March 1999 
			 Mr. Larry Brooke National Secretary MSF Until December 2000 
			 Mr. Ken Brundle Vice President and General Manager Shorts Brothers plc Until May 2000 
			 Mr. Robin Clark Director Cobham plc From March 1999 
			 Mr. Graham Cole Director of Government Affairs GKN plc From March 2001 
			 Mr. Allan Cook Deputy Chief Executive Cobham plc Until January 2001 
			 Prof. Bill Dawes Francis Mond Prof. of Aeronautical Engineering Cambridge University From March 1999 
			 Dr. John Ferrie Group Managing Director Aerospace Smiths Group plc From March 2001 
			 Mr. Simon Frost OBE Chief Executive Claverham Ltd. From March 1999 
			 Mr. Chris Geoghegan Chief Operating Officer BAE Systems From July 2002 
			 Mr. Ken Maciver Consultant—formerly Executive Vice President TRW Aeronautics—Lucas Aerospace From March 1999 
			 Mr. David Marshall Director General Society of British Aerospace Companies From March 1999 
			 Mr. John McGowan Director of Strategic Planning GKN Westland Ltd. Until December 2000 
			 Ms Eva Persson Business Development Director Rolls-Royce plc From March 1999 
			 Prof. Ian Poll Head of the College of Aeronautics Cranfield University, MK43 0AL From March 1999 
			 Mr. John Quigley National Officer (Shipbuilding and Aerospace) AMICUS From March 2001 
			 Mr. Mike Rouse Group Managing Director Military Aircraft and Support Systems, British Aerospace plc Until January 2002 
			 Mr. Michael Ryan General Manager, Aerospace Operations Bombardier Aerospace, Shorts Brothers plc From September 2000 
			 Major General Alan Sharman Director General Defence Manufacturers Association From March 1999 
			 Mr. John Sharman Executive Director Spectrum Capital Ltd. From March 1999 
			 Mr. Mike Stacey Chairman Meggitt plc Until March 2001 
			 Mr. Tom Williams Managing Director and General Manager Airbus UK From May 2001 
			 Mr. Richard Wood Managing Director Weston Aerospace From March 1999

British Energy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the extent is of foreign ownership of British (a) gas and oil exploration, (b) electricity generation, (c) oil supply, (d) gas supply, (e) electricity supply and (f) other energy industries.

Brian Wilson: The information is as follows:
	(a) Gas and oil exploration is carried out by a range of private companies, most of which operate on a global basis. It would not be meaningful to measure offshore activity in this way, and we do not attempt to do so.
	(b) Based on 2001 volumes of generation and current company ownership, around 55 per cent. of UK electricity generation is foreign owned.
	(c) The international nature of the oil market makes this difficult to calculate. Based on 2001 figures, around two-thirds of the oil products produced by oil refineries located in the UK were produced by refineries in foreign ownership (Shell has been treated as British). However, not all of this production is consumed within the UK, and the UK also imports refined products. It is not possible to determine how much of the traded oil products came from foreign-owned oil refineries.
	(d) Based on 2001 gas supply figures and current company ownership, around 25 per cent of downstream gas supply is the responsibility of non-UK companies.
	(e) Based on 2001 volumes of supply and current company ownership, around 65 per cent. of UK supply is foreign owned.
	(f) Information provided by The Coal Authority, based on their principal licensees only, shows that in terms of coal production in 2001, the entire UK coal industry is under UK control.

British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association.

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not had any recent discussions with the British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association. However, officials in the Department maintain contact with the Association, and regularly discuss a wide range of issues of concern to the sector.

Debt

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress of the National Debtline.

Melanie Johnson: The National Debtline aims to deliver free specialist debt advice and a debt repayment planning service to consumers in financial difficulty. I launched the pilot project on 14 March 2002. It was funded with £1 million from the Invest to Save Budget, and £50,000 each from the DTI, Scottish Executive and the Lord Chancellor's Department. The credit industry contributed a further £850,000.
	As of 14 January 2003, the National Debtline had given advice to 22,648 clients (from telephone, e-mail and face-to-face services). Of these, 19,582 clients were from England, 1,853 from Scotland and 984 from Wales.
	My officials are currently carrying out an evaluation of the National Debtline, which will establish:
	the strength of the business case for national, independent, free, telephone money advice services; and
	the best balance between a single national contact centre and smaller centres around the country.

Motor Industry

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about skills shortages in the retail motor industry.

Alan Johnson: I receive regular representations about skills shortages in a wide range of sectors, including the retail motor industry. I was therefore pleased that a development contract has been granted for the Automotive Skills Council, which is designed to address critical skills issues in this sector.

Motor Industry

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect of the Government's Supply of New Cars Order 2000.

Alan Johnson: Responsibility for monitoring the Supply of New Cars Order 2000 and investigating allegations of anti-competitive behaviour lies with the Director General of Fair Trading.
	One of the main provisions of the Order is designed to ensure that manufacturers do not unjustifiably discriminate between discounts for fleet customers and dealers. The OFT's most recent investigation was published on 29 January 2002. The OFT found that in that particular case, the anti-discrimination rules had not been broken. The OFT will continue to monitor compliance with the Order and investigate any complaints.

Nuclear Industry

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the value is of British Energy's Decommissioning Fund; and what the value was in each year since 1993;
	(2)  how much British Energy has paid into the Decommissioning Fund in each year since 1995.

Brian Wilson: The Nuclear Decommissioning Fund was established in 1996 when British Energy was privatised. The value of, and British Energy's annual contribution to, the Fund are reported annually in the company's report and accounts. On 28 November 2002, British Energy announced a restructuring proposal intended to achieve the long-term viability of the company, including new and enhanced arrangements to fund decommissioning and other back-end nuclear liabilities. The proposal is currently being considered by the company's creditors. A copy of the company's announcement was placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 152W, on post offices, if she will list the post office closures which were put out to consultation on (a) 29 November and (b) 16 December 2002.

Stephen Timms: Proposals put out to consultation for post office closures under the urban network reinvention are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Sub-Post Offices

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of Automated Credit Transfer on sub-post office revenue.

Stephen Timms: The current value to Post Office Ltd. of encashment business from the Department for Work and Pensions is some £400 million a year. The migration of benefit payment to Automated Credit Transfer (ACT) begins this year and the Post Office's strategy is to respond to that challenge with a range of banking and other services. How the migration of benefit payments affects the revenue of sub-post offices will depend on a number of factors, not least how benefit recipients and other post office customers respond to change. But the contract for the Post Office card account is potentially worth £1 billion to Post Office Ltd. over its 10-year lifetime.

Zimbabwe (Trading Links)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the United Kingdom companies who had trading links with Zimbabwe in 2002.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 20 January 2003
	Trade Partners UK does not hold comprehensive information on UK companies trading with, or investing in, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe (Trading Links)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to United Kingdom companies to end trading links with Zimbabwe.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 20 January 2003
	I have not made any representations to UK companies to end trading links with Zimbabwe. Her Majesty's Government do not favour economic sanctions. These would harm the people of Zimbabwe and the region at a time of humanitarian crisis, while having little impact on the ZANU (PF) leadership.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Running Costs

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: Detailed information on administration costs for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency, going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in the table on page 106 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5423). Data for years before 1998–99 are not readily available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

Entertainment Licences

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of events that took place in places of public religious worship in 2002, which under the new proposals would require an entertainment licence; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Department has made no estimate of the number of events that currently take place in places of public religious worship.
	However, as I stated in the House of Commons on 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 517, the Government have made a commitment to reconsider their position on the licensing of churches and will announce their conclusions as soon as possible.

External Consultancies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The information is as follows:
	(a) Contracts awarded to consultants on behalf of DCMS during the relevant periods are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1995–96 164,000 
			 1996–97 309,000 
			 1997–98 728,000 
			 1998–99 424,000 
			 1999–2000 227,000 
			 2000–01 358,000 
			 2001–02 693,000 
			 2002–03 323,820 
		
	
	This includes the Royal Parks Agency.
	(b) As DCMS is responsible for over 60 non-departmental public bodies, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Licensed Premises

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department will (a) control and (b) set the level of licence fee for licensed premises; and whether local licensing authorities will be allowed to vary those licence fees.

Kim Howells: Under the Licensing Bill the Secretary of State will make regulations prescribing that applications and notices made under the Bill must be accompanied by fees and that annual fees must be paid in respect of premises licences and club premises certificates. Regulations will also be made prescribing the amount of those fees.
	Licence fees will be set at a level which will enable licensing authorities to recover the full costs of exercising the licensing functions of administration, inspection and enforcement. Local authorities, as licensing authorities, will not be permitted to vary those fees.

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Department's spend on publicity in each year between 1995–96 and 2002–03 (estimated) is detailed in the table . During this period the Department has incurred no expenditure on advertising.
	Publicity and advertising expenditure by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is a matter for each individual body and information is not held centrally.
	
		
			 Year Publicity spend (£) 
		
		
			 1995–96 348,000 
			 1996–97 609,531 
			 1997–98 440,781 
			 1998–99 388,100 
			 1999–2000 613,630 
			 2000–01 537,983 
			 2001–02 318,141 
			 2002–03 (12)440,000 
		
	
	(12) Estimated.

Wembley Stadium

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress being made on the Wembley Stadium project; and when the Wembley Stadium project is expected to be complete.

Richard Caborn: Demolition of the old Wembley Stadium is currently at an advanced stage. All work is on schedule, with much of the foundation work for the new building already complete. Wembley National Stadium Limited are confident that the new stadium will be open in time to stage the 2006 FA Cup Final.

TREASURY

Economic Activity Rates

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rates of economic activity were in each of the last three years in (a) the UK and (b) each region, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Hywel Williams, dated 21 January2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about economic activity rates. (91635)
	The attached tables give the information requested based on data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Table 1 shows estimates for the United Kingdom which have been reweighted to reflect the results of the 2001 Census. Comparable estimates for countries and regions within the UK are not yet available. This is because the revised population estimates for regions consistent with the 2001 Census, which are needed to produce the LFS estimates, will not be available until February 2003.
	LFS estimates for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England are available based on population estimates which have not yet been reweighted to reflect the Census results. These LFS estimates are shown in Tables 2–4.
	
		Table 1: Economic activity rates(13)by age and sex; adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census population data; United Kingdom; 1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Percentage
		
			  December 1999 to November 2000 December 2000 to November 2001 December 2001 to November 2002 
		
		
			 All persons
			 All aged 16 and over 62.9 62.8 62.9 
			 16–59/64(14) 78.7 78.5 78.5 
			 16–17 57.9 55.7 54.3 
			 18–24 75.5 75.4 75.5 
			 25–34 84.2 83.9 83.7 
			 35–49 85.0 84.7 84.8 
			 50–59/64(14) 69.7 70.2 70.6 
			 60/65+ 8.2 8.3 8.7 
			 
			 Men
			 All aged 16 and over 71.2 70.9 70.8 
			 16–64 84.2 84.1 83.9 
			 16–17 57.5 56.2 53.7 
			 18–24 80.4 80.6 80.5 
			 25–34 93.6 93.2 92.9 
			 35–49 92.3 91.7 91.9 
			 50–64 72.4 73.2 73.2 
			 65+ 7.7 7.4 7.9 
			   
			 Women
			 All aged 16 and over 55.2 55.2 55.5 
			 16–59 72.9 72.7 72.9 
			 16–17 58.4 55.2 55.0 
			 18–24 70.6 70.2 70.6 
			 25–34 75.2 74.9 74.9 
			 35–49 77.8 77.9 78.0 
			 50–59 66.0 66.2 67.2 
			 60+ 8.5 8.7 9.1 
		
	
	(13) Total economically active as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	(14) Economic activity rates are usually given for the working age population. This is defined as men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. The age breakdowns in this table reflect that definition.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2: Economic activity rates(15) by region, age and sex; not adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census population data; United Kingdom; December 1999 to November 2000 -- Percentage
		
			 Government office region All aged 16 and over 16–59/64(16) 16–17 18–24 25–34 35–49 50–64 to 50–59(16) 60–65(16) 
		
		
			 All persons 
			 North East 58.9 74.7 61.6 73.0 81.6 82.4 60.1 5.4 
			 North West including Merseyside 61.4 76.9 55.6 74.7 84.1 84.2 64.2 6.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 62.8 78.8 55.6 76.1 85.1 84.6 69.9 7.1 
			 East Midlands 64.2 80.7 63.1 74.2 85.3 87.4 73.1 7.2 
			 West Midlands 62.5 78.3 58.3 75.8 82.9 84.7 69.7 7.9 
			 Eastern 65.6 81.9 63.5 80.0 85.3 87.1 74.9 9.7 
			 London 65.1 76.9 43.7 70.6 83.5 81.4 70.0 10.2 
			 South East 67.1 83.3 69.0 78.6 87.3 88.5 76.6 10.6 
			 South West 64.1 82.6 64.4 79.6 87.3 88.7 74.4 8.9 
			 Wales 58.0 74.3 58.5 73.3 82.5 82.1 60.3 6.7 
			 Scotland 62.9 78.4 59.5 78.3 84.5 85.4 65.2 6.9 
			 Northern Ireland 58.7 71.1 27.3 69.9 81.0 77.7 60.4 7.7 
			  
			 Men 
			 North East 67.2 80.1 60.4 80.5 91.3 90.4 61.0 3.7 
			 North West including Merseyside 70.1 82.6 58.1 82.5 93.5 90.6 67.0 5.4 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 71.0 83.8 55.0 80.0 94.2 91.4 71.7 5.9 
			 East Midlands 72.7 86.2 61.6 80.5 94.3 93.2 76.9 7.2 
			 West Midlands 70.9 83.8 54.4 80.8 92.8 92.2 71.9 6.8 
			 Eastern 74.1 87.7 65.2 84.6 93.9 94.5 78.2 8.9 
			 London 74.1 83.5 45.0 72.9 92.7 90.6 73.3 9.8 
			 South East 75.7 88.8 66.3 83.1 95.9 95.7 79.6 10.8 
			 South West 72.1 87.3 65.8 82.5 95.8 94.8 76.7 8.3 
			 Wales 65.9 79.4 54.7 79.5 90.8 89.6 62.5 5.6 
			 Scotland 70.9 82.8 59.5 82.1 92.1 90.8 68.1 6.8 
			 Northern Ireland 68.9 78.5 30.7 76.9 91.0 87.6 64.5 10.8 
			  
			 Women 
			 North East 51.1 68.7 62.9 65.4 71.6 74.4 58.8 6.3 
			 North West including Merseyside 53.0 70.6 52.9 66.6 74.1 77.8 60.5 7.1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 54.9 73.2 56.3 72.0 75.4 77.6 67.3 7.8 
			 East Midlands 56.0 74.6 64.5 67.2 76.0 81.5 67.8 7.3 
			 West Midlands 54.4 72.1 62.2 70.5 72.5 77.1 66.7 8.5 
			 Eastern 57.4 75.5 61.8 75.2 76.4 79.6 70.4 10.3 
			 London 56.3 69.6 42.3 68.2 73.5 71.7 65.7 10.4 
			 South East 58.8 77.3 71.8 73.9 78.4 81.2 72.5 10.5 
			 South West 56.5 77.4 63.0 76.5 78.3 82.6 71.2 9.2 
			 Wales 50.5 68.8 62.1 66.7 73.8 74.5 57.3 7.4 
			 Scotland 55.6 73.8 59.4 74.4 76.8 80.1 61.3 7.0 
			 Northern Ireland 49.3 63.2 23.8 62.8 70.8 68.2 55.0 6.1 
		
	
	(15) Total economically active as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	(16) Economic activity rates are usually given for the working age population. This is defined as men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. The age breakdowns in this table reflect that definition.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 3: Economic activity rates(17) by region, age and sex; not adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census population data; United Kingdom; December 2000 to November 2001 -- Percentage
		
			 Government office region All aged 16 and over 16–59/64(18) 16–17 18–24 25–34 35–49 50–64 to 50–59(18) 60/65(18) 
		
		
			 All persons 
			 North East 58.5 74.2 53.6 75.4 80.2 80.9 61.8 4.8 
			 North West including Merseyside 61.3 76.7 56.5 72.2 83.5 84.3 65.3 6.8 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 62.2 78.0 56.5 73.3 83.7 84.9 69.0 6.6 
			 East Midlands 63.8 80.0 59.5 76.2 83.6 86.7 72.7 7.1 
			 West Midlands 62.8 78.6 56.2 76.8 83.3 84.8 70.6 7.7 
			 Eastern 66.3 82.7 59.9 81.2 87.1 88.0 75.3 9.9 
			 London 64.8 76.3 37.9 70.5 82.3 81.2 70.6 10.0 
			 South East 67.0 83.1 65.4 78.1 87.0 88.2 77.3 11.0 
			 South West 63.9 82.3 66.0 78.9 86.8 88.9 73.6 8.9 
			 Wales 57.5 73.3 53.8 74.5 81.3 80.2 60.3 7.7 
			 Scotland 63.0 78.6 58.3 78.2 85.2 84.0 68.0 6.5 
			 Northern Ireland 59.5 72.1 32.0 71.4 82.5 79.4 58.8 7.9 
			  
			 Men 
			 North East 66.6 79.5 57.1 81.4 89.9 88.6 62.3 (19)— 
			 North West including Merseyside 69.3 81.6 56.9 78.4 92.5 89.5 67.6 5.8 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 70.3 83.0 59.4 78.9 92.3 90.5 71.5 5.6 
			 East Midlands 72.0 85.3 58.3 81.6 93.3 92.9 75.3 7.4 
			 West Midlands 72.1 85.2 57.4 83.9 93.6 92.4 74.1 7.2 
			 Eastern 74.5 88.5 60.3 86.9 95.2 94.5 79.6 8.5 
			 London 73.8 83.3 39.4 74.0 92.0 90.5 73.9 8.7 
			 South East 75.4 88.7 63.7 81.9 96.1 95.5 80.3 10.6 
			 South West 71.5 86.6 65.4 80.6 94.9 94.2 76.9 8.3 
			 Wales 65.2 78.3 52.8 81.1 91.0 86.0 62.3 6.5 
			 Scotland 70.8 83.1 57.6 83.4 91.6 89.9 70.9 5.2 
			 Northern Ireland 69.9 79.9 38.2 79.9 91.9 88.9 64.7 9.2 
			  
			 Women 
			 North East 50.8 68.4 49.8 69.0 70.3 73.3 61.1 5.8 
			 North West including Merseyside 53.7 71.3 56.0 65.8 73.9 79.0 62.0 7.4 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 54.3 72.4 53.1 67.6 74.6 79.1 65.5 7.2 
			 East Midlands 55.8 74.2 60.8 70.5 73.6 80.4 69.3 6.9 
			 West Midlands 53.7 71.3 55.1 69.0 72.3 77.0 65.8 7.9 
			 Eastern 58.3 76.5 59.3 75.4 78.7 81.4 69.5 10.8 
			 London 55.8 68.6 36.3 66.9 71.7 71.3 66.3 10.8 
			 South East 58.8 76.9 67.2 74.1 77.8 80.7 73.2 11.2 
			 South West 56.7 77.5 66.7 77.0 78.2 83.7 69.2 9.3 
			 Wales 50.2 67.8 54.8 67.3 71.1 74.3 57.6 8.4 
			 Scotland 55.7 73.9 59.1 73.0 78.7 78.1 64.2 7.2 
			 Northern Ireland 49.9 63.7 25.5 62.8 72.9 70.2 50.9 7.1 
		
	
	(17) Total economically active as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	(18) Economic activity rates are usually given for the working age population. This is defined as men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. The age breakdowns in this table reflect that definition.
	(19) Sample size too small for reliable estimate
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 4: Economic activity rates(20) by region, age and sex; not adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census population data; United Kingdom; December 2001 to November 2002 -- Percentage
		
			 Government office region All aged 16 and over 16–59/64(21) 16–17 18–24 25–34 35–49 50–64 to 50–59(21) 60/65(21) 
		
		
			  
			 All persons 
			 North East 58.3 73.9 48.7 73.2 79.4 82.8 60.7 4.5 
			 North West including Merseyside 61.4 76.7 50.4 75.0 83.5 84.0 65.7 6.9 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 62.3 77.9 57.5 73.5 83.5 84.5 68.9 7.3 
			 East Midlands 64.3 80.4 60.9 74.7 82.8 88.0 73.7 8.1 
			 West Midlands 63.3 79.1 53.2 76.6 83.9 85.1 71.8 8.7 
			 Eastern 65.8 82.3 59.3 80.0 84.8 88.2 76.7 9.8 
			 London 64.7 76.0 34.8 69.6 83.5 80.3 70.3 10.6 
			 South East 67.2 83.2 65.3 80.6 86.8 88.1 77.2 11.6 
			 South West 64.3 82.5 65.6 82.0 87.1 88.5 73.7 9.6 
			 Wales 57.8 74.0 53.6 69.0 81.1 82.9 62.9 6.8 
			 Scotland 63.1 78.8 61.5 78.7 84.3 84.7 67.7 6.6 
			 Northern Ireland 59.7 71.9 27.5 68.3 83.5 78.3 62.0 9.7 
			 Men 
			 North East 65.3 77.8 49.3 79.6 87.0 88.7 60.2 3.4 
			 North West including Merseyside 69.0 81.3 47.8 79.8 91.8 90.4 67.7 5.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 70.8 83.5 58.6 79.0 93.0 91.0 72.2 6.4 
			 East Midlands 72.1 85.4 60.9 78.5 91.8 94.1 76.7 7.4 
			 West Midlands 71.9 84.7 55.3 80.9 93.5 92.3 74.6 8.5 
			 Eastern 74.1 88.1 59.2 84.8 94.5 94.9 80.0 8.5 
			 London 73.6 82.8 35.1 75.2 92.3 89.2 73.6 9.9 
			 South East 75.6 88.8 62.5 84.3 95.4 95.9 80.0 11.3 
			 South West 71.5 86.7 63.6 84.1 96.3 93.6 75.9 8.1 
			 Wales 65.9 79.3 56.6 77.2 90.5 88.6 65.2 6.5 
			 Scotland 70.3 82.6 58.4 82.9 90.5 91.0 68.5 5.6 
			 Northern Ireland 69.3 78.9 28.8 76.0 93.0 86.9 67.0 12.0 
			  
			 Women 
			 North East 51.6 69.6 48.1 66.3 71.7 76.8 61.4 5.2 
			 North West including Merseyside 54.0 71.5 53.0 70.1 74.7 77.6 63.0 7.7 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 54.0 71.5 56.4 67.6 73.4 77.8 64.5 7.9 
			 East Midlands 56.7 74.8 60.9 70.6 73.5 81.8 69.6 8.5 
			 West Midlands 55.0 72.7 50.9 72.0 73.7 77.8 68.0 8.8 
			 Eastern 57.9 76.0 59.5 75.2 74.8 81.3 72.1 10.6 
			 London 56.0 68.5 34.5 64.0 73.8 71.0 65.9 11.0 
			 South East 59.2 77.2 68.1 76.8 78.1 79.9 73.4 11.8 
			 South West 57.4 77.9 67.7 79.7 77.3 83.4 70.8 10.6 
			 Wales 50.1 68.1 50.5 60.3 71.1 77.3 59.7 7.0 
			 Scotland 56.4 74.8 64.8 74.4 78.0 78.6 66.6 7.1 
			 Northern Ireland 50.7 64.4 26.1 60.5 73.8 70.1 55.5 8.4 
		
	
	(20) Total economically active as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	(21) Economic activity rates are usually given for the working age population. This is defined as men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. The age breakdowns in this table reflect that definition.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many projects are likely to be affected by the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003; which projects they are; and what representations he has received from the waste management industry about the proposal to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

John Healey: The Government estimates that approximately 300 projects are likely to be affected by the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003. It is not possible to identify affected projects precisely given the information available about the scheme. However, information on the scheme and projects is available at www.ltcs.org.uk/database/default.asp. The Government receives representations from industry about a range of issues but the Treasury has not received any significant number from the waste management industry about the proposal to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April 2003;
	(2)  what assessment he made of the likely impact on the match funding available which would be lost before taking the decision to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003.

John Healey: The impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on match funding was one of the factors which the Government took into account in deciding to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report. No clear information is available on the quantities of match funding obtained by projects, nor the source of such match funding. However, a study by Glasgow Caledonian University for Entrust, the Scheme's regulator, has estimated that on average waste management and recycling projects have levered in approximately 34 per cent. funding in addition to Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funding. The Government recognises that the change from a tax credit scheme to public spending may reduce the availability of match funding but decided that the benefits of converting funding on waste management and recycling from tax credits to public spending outweigh any loss in match funding.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on the match funding available (a) from the European Social Fund and (b) from other public funds.

John Healey: The impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on match funding was one of the factors which the Government took into account in deciding to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report. No clear information is available on the quantities of match funding obtained by projects. Information is also not available on the quantities of match funding from the European Social Fund or from other public funds. The lack of transparency in the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was criticised by the Public Accounts Committee's report on the scheme in July 2002, and both the PAC and the National Audit Office have criticised the lack of information on the scheme. These factors were taken into account by the Government in its decision to make the changes announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received from industry relating to the likely impact on the ability to source match funding for recycling projects of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme from April.

John Healey: The Government receives representations from industry about a range of issues. The Treasury has not received any significant number of representations from industry about the likely impact of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April on the ability to source match funding for recycling projects.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount is of (a) European and (b) other match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April.

John Healey: No precise figures are held on the quantity of match funding obtained by projects funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. However, a study by Glasgow Caledonian University for Entrust, the Scheme's regulator, has estimated that on average waste management and recycling projects have levered in approximately 34 per cent. funding in addition to Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funding.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses were received to the Treasury consultation on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which (a) supported and (b) opposed the proposal to end the waste management and recycling scheme from April 2003.

John Healey: 676 responses were received to the consultation on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. 45 per cent. of these were from organisations which had benefited directly from funding through the scheme and a further 30 per cent. were from local authorities. Of the total responses, 82 per cent. were in favour of retaining the scheme as a tax credit scheme. However, 62 per cent. also supported giving greater priority to funding for sustainable waste management.
	The Government took the responses to the consultation into account in making its decisions on the future of the scheme, together with other information includinguding criticisms of the scheme by the Public Accounts Committee, the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, and the National Audit Office.
	The summary of responses to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme consultation was published 4 September 2002 and is available on the DEFRA website.

Capital Modernisation Fund Applications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by Citizens Advice Scotland to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system; and for what reasons the application was declined.

Paul Boateng: The devolved administrations automatically receive a share of allocations made from the Capital Modernisation Fund for devolved matters, calculated according to the Barnett formula. Partial consequentials were awarded to the Scottish Executive in respect of an allocation made to the Department of Trade and Industry, on behalf of the National Citizens' Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, because the Department's responsibilities span both devolved and reserved matters.
	Where it is not possible to fund a project fully because there are other higher priorities for funding, it is open to the Department and the devolved administration to consider whether they can fund the project from within the resources already allocated to them.

Capital Modernisation Fund Applications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system in England and Wales; and for what reasons the application was successful.

Paul Boateng: The Department of Trade and Industry was allocated £20 million in 2001 to provide electronic access from Citizens' Advice Bureaux. The application was successful because it was considered that it met the criteria for the Capital Modernisation Fund, when judged against the other applications received for funding at that time.

Data Protection (Inland Revenue)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many breaches of the Data Protection Act there have been in respect of tax information supplied by taxpayers to the Inland Revenue; how many taxpayers are affected; whether an investigation has taken place in respect of such breaches; how many Inland Revenue staff have been involved in such breaches; and what reports he has received as to which agencies such information was sold.

Paul Boateng: There are only two known instances of Inland Revenue staff selling information about taxpayers. Two Inland Revenue employees did so in 1994 to a debt collection agency, and one employee sold information in 1996 to a solicitor. All three were dismissed from the Department and jailed. In relation to the Data Protection Act, there will also from time to time be technical and unintended breaches of the Act in an organisation as large as the Inland Revenue.
	The Inland Revenue take very seriously both their general duty of confidentiality and the particular need to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Financial Services Authority

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the powers and responsibilities of the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The powers and responsibilities of the Financial Services Authority are set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and secondary legislation under it. The Government keeps the position under review to ensure that the regulation of financial services continues to strike the right balance between the interests of firms and consuMerseyside. Whenever the Government plans changes to the scope of regulation this is generally subject to full public consultation.

Great George Street

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the value of the land and buildings at Great George Street, London SW1, on the basis of (a) existing use and (b) the best valuation for alternative use; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: A valuation of the land and buildings-based on existing use value, that is, their value as general office accommodation-was includinguded in HM Treasury's Resource Accounts for 2000–01 (January 2002, HC 573). The 2001–02 accounts will be published shortly. No other estimate of value has been made.

Infant Mortality

Paul Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the infant mortality, broken down by category, for each social class in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Marsden dated 21 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking to list the infant mortality, broken down by category, for each social class for each year since 1997. (91986)
	The table below provides infant deaths by social class based on father's occupation in England and Wales for the years 1997–2001. Father's occupation is only collected for births that occur inside marriage and those outside marriage that are jointly registered by both parents.
	
		Infant mortality by age at death and social class based on father's occupation(22),(23) 1997–2001, England and Wales
		
			 Numbers   Rates(24)* 
			  year of death  
			 Social Class 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000  2001 
		
		
			 Neonatal deaths  
			 I 153 134 135 125 116 3.5 3.0 2.9 2 .7 2.6 
			 II 472 504 489 444 405 3.0 3.2 3.0 2 .8 2.5 
			 IIIN 240 204 209 230 203 4.1 3.6 3.8 4 .4 3.9 
			 HIM 738 670 656 611 587 4.1 3.8 3.9 3 .8 3.7 
			 IV 378 370 386 343 348 4.2 4.1 4.6 4 .1 4.4 
			 V 151 146 166 147 124 4.8 4.8 5.8 5 .5 4.7 
			 Other 172 177 178 203 135 5.7 6.0 5.8 6 .8 4.4 
			 All births (excl. sole registered births) 2304 2205 2219 2103 1932 3.9 3.8 3.9 3 .8 3.5 
			 
			 Postneonatal deaths  
			 I 37 55 52 42 51 0.9 1.2 1.1 0 .9 1.2 
			 II 199 188 162 156 188 1.3 1.2 1.0 1 .0 1.2 
			 IIIN 90 75 88 68 47 1.6 1.3 1.6 1 .3 0.9 
			 HIM 291 256 274 239 252 1.6 1.5 1.6 1 .5 1.6 
			 IV 231 172 171 169 163 2.6 1.9 2.0 2 .0 2.1 
			 V 80 90 79 66 71 2.5 2.9 2.8 2 .5 2.7 
			 Other 145 137 138 130 121 4.8 4.7 4.5 4 .4 4.0 
			 All births (excl. sole registered births) 1073 973 964 870 906 1.8 1.7 1.7 1 .6 1.6 
			  
			 Infant deaths  
			 I 190 189 187 167 167 4.4 4.2 4.1 3 .6 3.8 
			 II 671 692 651 600 593 4.3 4.4 4.0 3 .8 3.7 
			 IIIN 330 279 297 298 250 5.7 4.9 5.4 5 .6 4.8 
			 HIM 1029 926 930 850 839 5.7 5.3 5.5 5 .3 5.4 
			 IV 609 542 557 512 511 6.8 6.0 6.6 6 .1 6.4 
			 V 231 236 245 213 195 7.3 7.7 8.6 7 .9 7.4 
			 Other 317 314 316 333 256 10.6 10.7 10.3 11 .2 8.4 
			 All births (excl. sole registered births) 3377 3178 3183 2973 2838 5.7 5.4 5.5 5 .3 5.1 
		
	
	(22) Numbers of infant deaths by social class are based on father's occupation at death registration
	(23) Numbers of live births by social class, used in calculating rates, are based on father's occupation at birth registration
	(24) Rate per 1000 live births

Press Releases

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each (a) year and (b) quarter from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The information, which does not includingude Budget, PBR and Spending Review press releases, is set out in the table below.
	
		
			  Jan to Mar Apr to June July to Sept Oct to Dec Total 
		
		
			 1995 51 36 39 52 178 
			 1996 57 47 39 39 182 
			 1997 36 35 44 53 168 
			 1998 41 66 51 60 218 
			 1999 57 51 49 59 216 
			 2000 44 37 25 45 151 
			 2001 40 34 29 46 149 
			 2002 30 32 38 38 138

Staff Relocation

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the cost savings from re-locating HM Treasury Staff out of central London premises; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: No such estimate has been made. Since August 2002 all Treasury staff have been located in the refurbished 1 Horse Guards Road.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Departmental Running Costs

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Charles Clarke: Information on administration costs for the Department for Education and Skills and the Office for Standards in Education showing outturn from 1998–99 and plans to 2003–04, is set out in Annex E of the 2002 Departmental Report (Cm 5402). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 Departmental Report later in the Spring.

Electronic Registration (Secondary Schools)

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the progress of the tender for electronic registration systems in secondary schools.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 16 January 2003
	The £11.25 million Capital Modernisation Funding project to provide electronic registration systems in over 500 secondary schools with high truancy rates is a key initiative in the continuing drive to tackle truancy. There is no tender involved as schools are allocated funding through the Standards Fund and are free to contract with any suitable supplier.
	Since the first round of funding was released last May, schools have been working together with local education authorities to purchase and implement suitable systems in schools subject to the approval of the Department for Education and Skills. Currently a third of the targeted schools have had their proposals to implement systems agreed and we expect the remainder to be approved by August.

Employment Tribunals

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 16 to 17-year-olds took their employer to an employment tribunal to enforce their right to reasonable paid time off to achieve a first Level 2 qualification in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

Ivan Lewis: We are not aware of any such cases since the legislation was introduced.

Entry to Employment Programme

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget profile is for the Entry to Employment programme for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and how many participants are expected to enter the programme in each year.

Ivan Lewis: Entry to Employment (E2E) will become part of the Learning Gateway which provides a client-centred approach to support young people who need additional help to enter mainstream learning opportunities. E2E will be implemented nationally from August this year. Expenditure on the current 11 E2E pathfinders in 2002–03 will be £19.8 million. The budget for the programme in 2003–04 is likely to be £142 million. Over 47,000 young people are expected to join the programme in 2003–04.

Language Assistants

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many language assistants are employed in maintained primary schools.

David Miliband: As at January 2002, there were 29.5 full-time equivalent foreign language assistants and 1,193.1 minority ethnic pupils' bilingual assistants in maintained primary schools.

Level 2 Qualifications

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 16 to 17-year-olds exercised their right to reasonable time off to achieve a first Level 2 qualification in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Modern Apprenticeships

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of Modern Apprentices in each profession receive the minimum training allowance; and what is the average (a) wage and (b) training allowance received by Modern Apprentices in each profession.

Ivan Lewis: In 2001–02, 2 per cent. of starts on Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, and 15 per cent. of starts on Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, were by people who received a training allowance. These trainees receive at least the minimum training allowance of £40 per week, but some will receive more than this. However, we are not able to give the proportion that are on the minimum allowance, or break this down by sector. The majority of Modern Apprentices are employed and are paid a wage by their employer. The rate of pay for a Modern Apprentice is agreed by the employer and the individual apprentice.

National Skills Task Force

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who the members of the National Skills Task Force have been since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Skills Task Force was established as an Executive NDPB by the previous Secretary of State for Education and Skills to advise him on the extent and nature of skills shortages and skills gaps and assist him on the development of a national skills agenda.
	The Skills Task Force operated from April 1998 to June 2000 under the chairmanship of Chris Humphries, currently Director-General of City and Guilds, and represented the private sector, trade unions, FE and HE, local authorities, and National Training Organisations. A list of members follows.
	As an Executive NDPB, Task Force members were not paid a salary, only reimbursed for their travelling costs to attend monthly meetings.
	On 27 June 2000, the Task Force's fourth and final report, "Skills for all: proposals for a National Skills Agenda", was published. The report set out their recommendations drawn from their work programme over the last two years.
	The Secretary of State for Education and Employment provided a final response to the work of the Skills Task Force in the pamphlet, "Opportunity and Skills in the Knowledge-Driven Economy", launched alongside the "Opportunity for All in a World of Change" White Paper on 13 February 2001.
	Following these reports, much work has been taken forward that will be reflected in the Government's Skills Strategy which will be published in June 2003. This will be a major cross government strategy drawing together policies for meeting the skill needs of the economy and showing how this will raise productivity.
	
		Skills Task Force members
		
			 Name Organisation Position 
		
		
			 Chris Humphries CBE British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), London Tel. 0207 565 2042 Director General Chairman of Skill Task Force 
			 Llew Aviss Llew Aviss Associates Tel. 01792 208 558 Managing Director 
			 Rita Britton Pollyanna (Barnsley) Ltd. Tel 01226 291 665 Director 
			 Tony Dubbins Graphical, Paper & Media Union, Bedford Tel. 01234 351 521 General Secretary 
			 Eric Drewery ABB Ltd., London Tel. 0207 753 2024 Chief Executive Officer 
			 John Edmonds GMB, London Tel. 0208 947 3131 General Secretary 
			 Denise Hall BT plc, London Tel. 0207 469 2601 Head of Government Health and Education Services 
			 Sir Ken Jackson AEEU, Kent Tel. 0208 315 8224 General Secretary 
			 Dr. DeAnne Julius Bank of England, London Tel. 0207 601 3788 Member Monetary Policy Committee 
			 Eddie Maclntyre CBE Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies Tel. 0121 604 1000 (ext. 234) Principal 
			 Ashwin Mistry OBE Brett & Randall Insurance Brokers, Leicester Tel. 0116 222 8222 Managing Director Board Member Leicestershire TEC 
			 Terry Morgan British Aerospace Centre, Hampshire Tel: 01252 373 232 Director of Personnel 
			 John V. Palmer Works from home Tel. 01785 841 664 Chairman—Steel Industry's NTO Chair of Steel Training Ltd. 
			 Peter Rainbird CBE Rainbird Group, Essex Tel. 0127 721 5325 Chairman/Chief Executive Chairman, Essex TEC 
			 lain Roxburgh Coventry City Council Tel. 02476 831 076 Chief Executive and Town Clerk 
			 Sharon Studer 3 COM Europe Ltd., Hemel Hempstead Tel. 01442 438 017 Vice President 
			 Julia Tinsley Pitman Training Centre, Sheffield Tel. 0114 272 8392 Director 
			 Adair Turner Confederation of British Industry, London Tel. 0207 867 3203 Director-General 
			 Prof. Leslie Wagner CBE Leeds Metropolitan University Tel. 0113 283 3100 Vice Chancellor 
			 Anne Weinstock CBE Rathbone CI, Manchester (on secondment to DfEE, Millennium Volunteers Unit, Sheffield) Tel. 0114 259 3595 Chief Executive

On-line Learning

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to monitor standards of on-line learning programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The Department's provision of on-line learning is covered by the same quality assurance and inspection arrangements as conventional provision such as schools, colleges and adult and community provision, The Ofsted and adult learning inspection framework and others, are developing to cover the increasingly wide range of provision and variety of providers. Work is also well advanced in establishing standards for the creation of on-line learning resources, covering both technical and pedagogical aspects.

Thames Gateway

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

Ivan Lewis: My noble Friend Lord Rooker chairs the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership, whose membership comprises ministers from five Government Departments (ODPM, DfT, DFES, DTI and DoH) three Regional Development Agencies, three Regional Assemblies and three sub-regional partnerships (East London, North Kent and South Essex).
	The Partnership is now looking at new means of accelerating the regeneration and development of the Gateway. Thames Gateway development and regeneration is being supported by investment from various Government funding streams (for example housing and transport) and through regional public agencies (for example the RDAs).
	We are working with the Partnership to determine the additional demands on primary and secondary education arising through housing and economic growth in the Gateway. The Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, Margaret Hodge, chairs a Thames Gateway Further and Higher Education working group which is working with universities, colleges, the Learning & Skills Councils and Higher Education Funding Council for England to scope the likely pattern of future demand for post-
	compulsory education and training.

Training

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 16 to 18-year-olds were in employment and receiving (a) employer funded training and (b) employer funded training for apprenticeships not funded by the Learning and Skills Council in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02.

Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows:
	(a) The number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds in Employer Funded Training (EFT) at end 2000 and end 2001 are set out in the table. The figures for end 2001 are provisional. The percentages are taken from the annual statistical first release, "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18-Year-Olds in England".
	
		
			  End 2000 End 2001 
		
		
			 Number (in thousands) 97 99 
			 16–18 year old population (percentage) 5 5 
			 16–18 year olds in employment (percentage) 9 9 
		
	
	(b) No further breakdown is available for employer funded training.

Training

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 16 to 18-year-olds were in employment but not receiving (a) training provided by their employer and (b) training provided by their employer linked to a qualification in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02.

Ivan Lewis: The number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds in employment (including both full-time and part-time), but not in employer funded training (EFT) at end 2000 and end 2001 are set out in the table. These could be in full-time education, Government supported training (GST) or in other education and training, though not employer funded. A breakdown is shown. It is important to note that many of these young people will be in part-time, rather than full-time, employment.
	The figures for end 2001 are provisional. They are taken from the annual statistical first release, "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18-Year-Olds in England".
	
		
			  Number (in thousands) Percentage of population Percentage of those in employment 
		
		
			 End 2000  
			 In employment and not in EFT 951 52 91 
			 In employment 1,047 58 100 
			 EFT 97 5 9 
			 Full-time education 475 26 45 
			 GST 157 9 15 
			 Other education and training 44 2 4 
			 Not in any education or training 275 15 26 
			 
			 End 2001
			 In employment and not in EFT 954 51 91 
			 
			 In employment 1,053 57 100 
			 EFT 99 5 9 
			 Full-time education 471 25 45 
			 GST 145 8 14 
			 Other education and training 57 3 5 
			 Not in any education or training 282 15 27 
		
	
	Detailed information on employer funded training, such as whether the training is linked to a qualification is not available on a consistent basis.

Youth Development

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the latest estimate is of the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training.

Ivan Lewis: The provisional figure for end 2001 was 173 thousand 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, training or employment. This is 9 per cent. of the cohort population.
	The latest estimate of the number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, training or employment (NEET) was published in the annual statistical first release, "SFR 16/2002: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18 Year Olds in England: 2000 and 2001".

PRIVY COUNCIL

Paper Supplies

Sue Doughty: To ask the President of the Council who the suppliers are of his Department's (a) paper and (b) paper products.

Robin Cook: The vast majority of the paper and paper products used in my department is supplied by Banner Business Supplies Limited. My department follows Government guidance on the use of recycled paper, in the interest of fostering sustainable development.

CABINET OFFICE

Delivery Unit

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office from which vote the delivery unit will be funded.

Douglas Alexander: Funding for the delivery unit is included in the Cabinet Office Estimates.

Departmental Costs

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: Detailed information on administration costs for Cabinet Office, and its agencies the Centre for Management and Policy Studies and the Government Car and Despatch Agency, going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in Table 5 on page 94 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5429). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

Value for Money

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what level of output would constitute a failure to achieve the value for money target as defined in the technical note to the 2002 Spending Review Public Service Agreement on value for money; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Public Service Agreement value for money target commits the Cabinet Office to deliver a 2.5 per cent saving year-on- year, on administrative resource, over the 2002 Spending Review period.
	It also requires the Cabinet Office to find the 2.5 per cent efficiency saving without any reduction in it's published outputs or outcomes.
	The Cabinet Office's aim is to achieve all of its published targets within its agreed expenditure limits. Therefore no specific level of output has been set as the determinant of failure.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Firearms

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary about extending to Northern Ireland the new penalties proposed for illegal possession of firearms in England and Wales.

Jane Kennedy: I am aware of the Home Secretary's proposal for a mandatory 5-year sentence for the illegal possession or distribution of firearms. Northern Ireland's firearms legislation is undergoing a major review and a Proposal for a Draft Firearms Order is currently the subject of consultation. I will consider the question of mandatory minimum sentences as part of that review.

Former RUC Officers (Employment)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many former RUC officers who retired on severance pay have re-entered employment.

Jane Kennedy: To date, 252 have secured full time employment.

Housing Benefit

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on proposals to link antisocial behaviour to housing benefit penalties in Northern Ireland.

Des Browne: There are at present no proposals in Northern Ireland to link antisocial behaviour to housing benefit penalties. The proposed Housing (NI) Order contains a range of other measures to deal with antisocial behaviour in social housing.

Pensioner Poverty

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the extent of pensioner poverty in Northern Ireland.

Des Browne: There is no single measure of pensioner poverty. Poverty is a complex issue with various elements which affect many aspects of people's lives, including their income, living standards, health, housing and quality of environment.
	A report was commissioned by Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) as part of the research and evaluation strategy for the Government's New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) initiative. This report was published in May 2002. The primary aim of the report was to assess the potential of establishing a baseline of poverty. The report utilised data from the Continuous Household Survey and estimated that there were 81,000 individual pensioners living in households in the bottom 30 per cent. of gross household incomes.
	Ensuring that pensioners have a decent income is a key measure in combating pensioner poverty. At present, no pensioner has to live on less than £98.15 a week under the minimum income guarantee (£149.80 for couples). From April 2003 these rates will increase to £102.10 for single pensioners and £155.80 for couples.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pension Tax Credit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners in the Twickenham constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 333W.

Pension Tax Credit

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish in the Official Report the notes accompanying the combined pension forecast on page 45 of the pensions Green Paper (Cm. 5677).

Ian McCartney: The explanatory notes that accompany the example of a combined pension forecast are as follows:
	Flexiplan-Explanatory Notes
	Plan Pay
	Plan pay is your total pay-including any overtime and bonus.
	Your investment over the year
	You choose how much to invest from 2 per cent to 15 per cent of plan pay in 1 per cent steps. Emap matches your investment for up to 5 per cent of plan pay (7 per cent for members with 10 or more years' service).
	Balance at 6 October 2002
	The balance shown is not guaranteed and may fluctuate up or down. The balance excludes funds fron earlier periods of flexiplan membership.
	Protected Rights
	If you joined flexi plan before 1 January 1997, part of your flexiplan account (called 'protected rights') replaces some of the state earnings-Related Pension and must be taken as a pension which cannot start to be paid before age 60. The protected rights balance is shown separately as well as being included in the total balance on your statement.
	Illustration Assumptions
	The pension illustration overleaf is based on certain assumptions, which are that Contributions to Flexiplan continue at the current rate;
	the pension bought is guaranteed for five years, has an attaching 50 per cent partner's pension and increases in line with price inflation up to 5 per cent a year (up to 3 per cent a year on any protected rights):
	the average annual rate of inflation over the period to retirement is 3 per cent, investment returns over the same period will exceed your salary increases by2.5 per cent a year, and the cost of the pension at retirement is calculatedassuming future investments yields 3 per cent ahead of inflation; and
	for members who are a long way from retirement, the cost of the pension iscalculated using the assumptions described above and for members who areclose to retirement, the cost is in line with current market prices.
	Future Events
	The assumptions used relate to the future. As this is uncertain, your actual Flexiplan benefits could differ significantly from this illustration. For example, you may leave Emap before reaching retirement, in which case your contributions would stop, oryou may simply alter the level of contributions to Flexiplan. The financial assumptions about the future (see note five) all have "a significant effect on the level of the pension illustration. The investment return achieved by your account before retirement is very important, particularly for younger members. For example an average return of just 1 per cent per annum ahead or behind the illustration assumption could increase or decrease the resulting pension percentage by as muchas a quarter. It is important for older members nearing retirement, where volatility of returns becomes an important issue. This is when your account is switched graduallyinto special "retirement units" to provide more certainty of pension level.
	Lump Sum Death Benefit
	The person to whom the lump sum death benefit is payable is at discretion of the Trustees so that inheritance tax does not have to be paid. It is therefore important that you complete a nomination form to let the trustees know to whom you would like the benefit to be paid. If you have not completed a form or would like to make a change, please contact the Benefits helpdesk.
	Inland Revenue Maximum Benefits
	Flexiplan is approved by the Inland Revenue which means that all contributions and investment income are free to tax. This also means that the benefits provided underFlexiplan and contributions paid into your account are subject to Inland Revenue limits. Where practicable these limits have been taken into account in preparing thisstatement. However, if you have benefits retained in a pension arrangement of aprevious employer, it may be necessary to restrict the amount quoted.
	Updates
	Regular updates of the projections are important, so an illustration of your Flexiplan benefits will be prepared for you at least once a year, even if you leave Emap. If you would like any further details please contact the Benefits Helpdesk.
	Data Protection
	Empa plc and the trustees hold this and other information about you in order that your benefits can be administered correctly. this information is also used to identify you when you make enquiries. This information is disclosed to the Trustee's advisers and administrators as necessary. Emap plc and the Trustees are required to keep information about you as up-to-date as possible. If the information about you given in this statement is incorrect or incomplete, please contact the Benefits Helpdesk on 01733 311399. You may also contact the Benefits Helpdesk if you would like more information about this or a copy of the information held about you (there is a fee payable for this service).
	Every effort has been made to ensure that accuracy of this statement. Nevertheless, it is not binding on the Trustees if an error or omission is subsequently discovered.

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

Ian McCartney: The Department for Work and Pensions published its first Departmental Report in May 2002. The cost of production incurred by the Department was £94,940. The costs of printing and publishing are met by the publisher, The Stationery Office Limited, and do not fall to government.
	2,450 copies of the report were produced of which 2,010 were for the Department's use. Distribution details are set out in the following table..
	The production and sale of remaining copies of the report are matters for the publisher.
	
		Distribution of the Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Report
		
			 Recipients Number of copies distributed free of charge 
		
		
			 Social Security Advisory Committee 15 
			 Work and Pensions Select Committee 16 
			 Chair of the Treasury Select Committee 1 
			 Opposition spokesmen 6 
			 Departmental managers 1 ,745 
			 Laying in the House and House Libraries 27 
			 House of Lords 50 
			 Vote Office 150 
			 Total 2,010

Benefit Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many respondents have opted for payment (a) by credit transfer into an existing bank or building society account, (b) by credit transfer into a new basic bank account and (c) by means of a Post Office Card Account, broken down by social security benefit for which letters have been sent to recipients asking them to specify how they wish to receive payments following the switch to ACT; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: As at 10 January 103,023 customers have responded and opted for payment into a bank or building society account.
	This is made up of 72,458 Child Benefit customers and 30,565 Veterans Agency customers.
	We do not distinguish between existing or basic bank accounts.
	The total number of customers requesting Post Office card accounts is 26,297. This is made up of 8,854 Child Benefit customers and 17,443 Veterans Agency customers.

Child Support Agency

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many CSA cases from the Wansbeck constituency are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency and how many new cases were received in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Dennis Murphy, dated January 2003
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. He is unavailable at this time so I am replying on his behalf.
	You ask how many cases from your constituency are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency; and how many new cases were received in each of the last five years.
	I'm afraid I do not have precise numbers.
	We have however estimated that around 4,800 cases are currently being dealt with where the applicant resides in the Wansbeck Constituency. In each of the years 31st March 1998 to 1999 we received around 500 cases, each of the years 31st March 2000 to 2001 we received around 200 cases and in the year to 31st March 2002 we received less than 100 cases.

External Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

Ian McCartney: The total cost to DWP of the use of external consultants in the 2001–02 financial year was £169.494 million.

Job Sharing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

Ian McCartney: Nine people are currently employed in this department on a 'formal' job share basis as at 30 November 2002. However, over 30,000 people work part-time, including some who are employed on an Informal' job share basis.
	Our Equal Opportunities statement actively promotes and supports the use of flexible working patterns to enable those working for us to balance home and work responsibilities. Jobsharing is just one of the alternative and flexible working patterns that employees are welcome to take up. The flexibility of the jobshare is decided in conjunction with local management to suit an individuals need and the needs of their work. The Department operates Flexible Working Hours (FWH) Schemes wherever practicable. The framework gives managers discretion and freedom to develop FWH schemes to suit their individual business and staff needs.
	All vacancies are open to people with different working patterns, unless real operational needs preclude it.

Pension Credit

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the pension credit on the mean benefit income of single pensioners and couples in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06, by quintile.

Ian McCartney: The table provides our current assessment of the impact of pension credit in 2004–05 on the mean weekly benefit income of single adults of state pension age or over, and couples where the man is aged 65 or over. This chart includes pension credit direct effects only, and excludes any related increases in housing benefit or council tax benefit. Cases have been placed in overall population quintiles. Due to the uncertainties inherent in the predictions the results have been rounded to the nearest 50p.
	
		£ 
		
			 Quintile Bottom Second Third Fourth Top Average 
		
		
			 Average weekly pension credit gain 6.50 7.00 3.50 1.50 0.50 4.50 
		
	
	The distributional impact of our policies is assessed by the Department, when it is appropriate and robust to do so, by using simulation modelling based on the family resources survey. At present the simulations are based on the 2000–01 survey sample and the departmental analysts do not regard projected distributional results for 2005–06 to be robust, nor results for 2004–05 analysed by family type. All projections of distributional consequences for 2004–05 are subject to a variety of assumptions and should be treated with caution.

Pensioners' Incomes Series

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will recalculate table 14 of the Pensioners' Incomes Series excluding all those with earnings.

Ian McCartney: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Components of mean gross income of pensioner units, excluding those with earnings, by quintile of the net income distribution, 1994–05 and 2000–01 -- Results based upon data from the FRS Incomes in £ per week, 2000–01 prices
		
			  Quintiles of the income distribution  
			  Bottom fifth Next fifth Middle fifth Next fifth Top fifth Overall mean 
		
		
			 1994–95 Means   
			 Pensioner couples   
			 Gross income 143 183 227 307 552 264 
			 Of which:   
			 Benefit income 125 145 155 154 139 143 
			 Occupational pension 11 27 56 122 283 87 
			 Investment income 7 11 15 31 126 33 
			 Earnings * * * * * * 
			 Other income * 1 * * 5 1 
			
			 Single pensioners   
			 Gross income 80 104 123 151 275 144 
			 Of which:   
			 Benefit income 72 87 105 111 115 97 
			 Occupational pension 3 11 13 30 105 31 
			 Investment income 5 6 5 10 52 15 
			 Earnings * * * * * * 
			 Other income * * * 1 4 1 
			 2001–02 Means   
			 Pensioner couples   
			 Gross income 157 211 267 360 634 302 
			 Of which:   
			 Benefit income 134 161 173 168 156 158 
			 Occupational pension 15 36 73 154 334 106 
			 Investment income 8 14 19 37 141 37 
			 Earnings * * * * * * 
			 Other income * * 1 1 3 1 
			
			 Single pensioners   
			 Gross income 88 124 148 188 318 169 
			 Of which:   
			 Benefit income 80 103 118 128 141 113 
			 Occupational pension 4 15 22 45 119 39 
			 Investment income 4 5 6 13 55 16 
			 Earnings * * * * * * 
			 Other income * 1 1 2 3 1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures show very little difference in the first four quintiles to those
	published in the Pensioners' Incomes Series, which include pensioner units with earnings. Gross and investment income for pensioners without earnings in quintile five and the overall mean are slightly lower than for those with earnings, and these pensioners also contribute a higher proportion of their gross income to benefits.
	2. The estimates are from the Family Resources Survey 1994–05 and 2000–01, which is the latest year for which results are available. The survey covers Great Britain and does not include people living in residential care or nursing homes.
	3. As with data from any survey, these estimates should not be treated as exact as they are subject to sampling error. In particular, great care should be taken when comparing groups with similar incomes, or looking at changes in income over a short time period, since random sampling fluctuations mean that estimates should be regarded as a broad indication of trends only.
	4. Incomes are in £ per week and are at 2000–01 prices.
	5. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest £1. Estimates of less than £0.50 are labelled '*'.
	6. The distribution of income is based on net unequivalised income (unequivalised income refers to the actual cash amount directly received by pensioner units), and has been calculated separately for singles and couples, i.e. estimates for pensioner couples show income for each quintile of the pensioner couples' income distribution.
	7. Single pensioners are defined as single (non-cohabiting) people over state pension age (65 and over for men, 60 and over for women). Pensioner couples are defined as couples (married or cohabiting) where the man is over state pension age.

Pensions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what would be the weekly savings required to provide the retirement incomes shown in Figure 3.1 of the pensions Green Paper (Cm 5677) if the rate of return on savings exceeded earnings growth by 1.5 per cent. and 2.5 per cent. respectively.

Ian McCartney: Figure 3.1 of the Green Paper Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement (Cm 5677) is reproduced in the following two tables under the alternative assumptions about the rate of return on saving. Each of the two tables shows the required level of weekly saving in order to generate a given target income in retirement. The level of saving is in net terms, i.e. before the addition of tax relief at the basic rate, while the target income is in gross terms, i.e. before the deduction of any tax liability. Apart from the revisions to the assumption about the rate of return all other relevant assumptions are as set out in Annex 5 of the Green Paper.
	
		Table 1: Rate of return above earnings growth of 1.5 per cent
		
			  Age start saving (£)  
			 Target weekly income (£) 20 years 30 years 40 years 
		
		
			 50 10 15 25 
			 100 25 35 45 
			 200 50 65 95 
			 300 75 100 140 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Rate of return above earnings growth of 2.5 per cent.
		
			  Age start saving (£)  
			 Target weekly income (£) 20 years 30 years 40 years 
		
		
			 50 10 15 20 
			 100 20 25 40 
			 200 40 55 80 
			 300 60 80 120

Pensions

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of (a) an increase of £5 in the rate of the basic state pension and (b) the introduction of age additions of (i) £5 for pensioners aged 75 to 79 and (ii) £10 for pensioners aged 80 years or over, on the basis that the age additions for those aged 75 to 79 or 80 years and over are paid in full, regardless of contribution record; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We estimate that it would cost around £2.6 billion in 2003–04 to increase the maximum rate payable of the basic State pension by £5 per week and all other payments proportionately.
	If weekly age additions of £5 were introduced for pensioners aged 75–79 and £10 for pensioners aged 80 years and over, we estimate that this would cost around £1.8 billion in 2003–04.
	Notes:
	1. Estimates are in cash terms for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest £100 million.
	2. Costs are gross, i.e. no account has been taken of offsetting savings in income related benefits.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 9 January 2003, ref 88793, on pensions, if a UK citizen moves from a country where UK pensions are not uprated back to the UK and thence to another EU member state, whether they will be entitled to an annually uprated basic pension, and if this payment will be at the same rate as if they lived in the UK.

Ian McCartney: If a UK citizen who is entitled to receive a UK State Pension moves back to the UK from a country where UK pensions are not uprated and then moves to another EU member state, they will be entitled to an annually uprated State Pension in the EU member state that is paid at the same rate as if they lived in the UK.

Pensions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated retirement income from the state in 2050 is, as a percentage of their earnings, for employees at the income levels shown in Figure 1.7 of the pensions Green Paper (Cm 5677), assuming that the state second pension remains earnings-related and that they are not contracted out; and what would be the corresponding figures if the basic state pension were increased in line with average earnings in 2004 and subsequent years.

Ian McCartney: The figures in Table 1 show the projected replacement rate provided by the state for individuals retiring in 2050. These figures correspond directly with those behind Figure 2.7 in the Green Paper Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement (Cm 5677).
	Retirement income from the state includes the basic state pension, state second pension and pension credit. The hypothetical individuals are assumed to be contracted in to state second pension in all years. A full list of modelling assumptions is set out in Annex 5 of the Green Paper.
	
		Table 1: Retirement income from the State for those retiring in 2050, expressed as a percentage of earnings before retirement, assuming that the policy regime remains unchanged
		
			 Weekly earnings (£) Replacement rates (per cent.) 
		
		
			 100 139 
			 200 69 
			 300 48 
			 400 37 
			 500 30 
			 600 25 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures rounded to nearest 1 per cent.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions calculations.
	The projections in Table 2 have been made on exactly the same basis as those in Table 1 but for the uprating of the basic state pension by earnings as opposed to prices.
	
		Table 2: Retirement income from the state for those retiring in 2050 as a percentage of earnings before retirement, assuming that the basic state pension is increased with earnings from 2004
		
			 Weekly earnings (£) Replacement rates (per cent.) 
		
		
			 100 142 
			 200 71 
			 300 49 
			 400 38 
			 500 31 
			 600 26 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures rounded to nearest 1 per cent.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions calculations.
	In both sets of projections the start point of the savings credit element of pension credit is set at the value of the full basic state pension. For the projections in Table 2 this start point is of higher value because the basic state pension has been assumed to increase in line with earnings and not prices.
	All figures are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.; this degree of accuracy has been used in this question to indicate that the projections in Table 2 are slightly higher than those in Table 1 for all hypothetical individuals.

Pensions Green Paper

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the basis was for the calculation made on page 102 of the Green Paper "Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement", that a £20,000 lump sum could be taken instead of a state pension.

Ian McCartney: The figure of £20,000 is in broad terms the amount of State pension that a hypothetical person with a State pension entitlement of £100 per week would forgo due to deferring for a five-year period, net of income tax applied at the standard rate of 22 per cent.
	The example was for illustrative purposes only, and should not be regarded as a statement of policy. The detail of policy on the calculation and tax treatment of the lump sum will be decided following the consultation.

Pensions Green Paper

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out the assumptions made for the estimate, given in the Green Paper "Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement", that UK state spending on pensions will continue broadly at its current level of around five per cent.

Ian McCartney: The assumptions can be found on page 148 of the green paper 'Simplicity Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement.' (Cm 5677)

Pensions Green Paper

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those with liquid financial assets of more than £10,000 are members of an occupational or private pension scheme.

Ian McCartney: In 2001–02, there were around 6.4 million people of working age in Great Britain in a benefit unit with total capital assets of more than 10,000. Of these, around 3.8m were also contributing to some form of private pension.
	Notes
	1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2001–02 is the latest year for which data is available.
	2. No provision has been made for any debts that might be simultaneously held by individuals.
	3. Some people with capital assets of more than 10,000 will be members of, but not contributing to, a private pension. These might be people who are retired, who are in between jobs or whose circumstances may have recently changed. These people are not included in the 3.8 million estimate given above.
	4. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for tenure, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
	5. Questions on assets are a sensitive part of the FRS questionnaire and have relatively low level of response. Evidence suggests some under reporting of. capital by respondents.

Ringwood Jobcentre

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what consultations have been carried out on the proposal to withdraw Social Fund services from the Ringwood Jobcentre; and what alternative arrangements are proposed for those living in Three Legged Cross and Kenwood.
	(2)  what enhanced services will be provided at Ringwood Jobcentre when Jobcentre Plus is introduced.

Malcolm Wicks: We are progressively extending the new integrated Jobcentre Plus office network across the country over the next four years. These offices are delivering a single, integrated service to people of working age claiming benefits, with a clear focus on work. They provide an active and responsive service to help people find jobs, and give advice on the full range of help and support available to them.
	Full details of the services available in these new offices are described in the Jobcentre Plus Business Plan 2002–03, a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Plans are currently being drawn up to roll out the new integrated Jobcentre Plus service in Hampshire District, which includes Ringwood Jobcentre. The future provision of Social Fund services in the District forms part of the plans. Partners and stakeholders were consulted about these plans in June and September 2002. Their comments are being taken into consideration in reaching final decisions, which will be announced in due course.

Wholetime Equivalent Staff

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 15 January 2003, Official Report, column 609W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Cheverton Down

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he asked for an Environmental Impact Assessment to be provided for the application for a wind energy development at Cheverton Down, Isle of Wight, which was referred to him for call in; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not required for the wind energy development at Cheverton Down. Responsibility for determining the planning application, and therefore for deciding whether EIA would be required, rested with the local planning authority, the Isle of Wight council. The council originally granted planning permission in 1995, and in 2002, determined an application to vary one of the conditions attached to the permission. A request by local residents that my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister should call in that application for his own determination was declined.

Fire Officers (Herefordshire)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fire officers are employed in Herefordshire.

Christopher Leslie: On 31 March 2002, the number of fire officers employed in Herefordshire was 352 whole-time, 355 retained and 25 fire control.

Greenfield Sites

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he intends to take to ensure that the guidance in PPG3 is complied with following the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Rowlinson v. Warrington borough council.

Tony McNulty: It is normally for local planning authorities to determine planning applications made to them. In doing so they are required to take account of all considerations which may be material, including the guidance in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: 'Housing'. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue to monitor their performance.

Greenfield Sites

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he intends to take to protect greenfield sites in areas where a council's committed land supply meets or exceeds regional planning guidance requirements, following the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Rowlinson v. Warrington Borough Council.

Tony McNulty: Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, "Housing", introduced a series of tough new measures designed to meet the country's future housing needs in the most sustainable way possible, including a sequential approach which gives priority to re-using brownfield sites in urban areas in preference to developing greenfield sites. Local planning authorities should revise their plans to take account of the guidance in PPG3 and Regional Planning Guidance, and they should seek to do so as quickly as possible.
	In considering planning applications for housing development in the interim, before development plans can be reviewed, local authorities should have regard to the policy contained in PPG3 as material considerations which may supersede the policies in their plan.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not convinced that it is necessary to issue further advice in the light of the decision in Rowlinson v. Warrington Borough Council, which was determined on the facts of the case.

Greenfield Sites

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he intends to take to protect greenfield sites in North Warrington, following the recent decision in the case of Rowlinson v. Warrington Borough Council.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects the local authority concerned to implement Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, "Housing".

Housing Corporation

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding has been allocated to the Housing Corporation for the current financial year for new dwellings; how much will be given for the next financial year; and what figure the Corporation has stated it needs to meet requests made by registered social housing landlords for new dwellings.

Tony McNulty: In 2002–03, the Housing Corporation have allocated £820 million to new-build schemes through their approved development programme (ADP).
	The amount for new-build schemes for the 2003–04 ADP has not yet been determined.
	The ADP is run on the basis of competitive bids, and commonly attracts bids from registered social landlords amounting to three times the available funds from the Housing Corporation.

Housing Transfers

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the total value of payments made to local authorities was in each year since 1997 regarding overhanging debt payments for authorities transferring housing stock;
	(2)  what total payment has been made to date to local authorities to pay off debt left after housing transfers.

Tony McNulty: Payments are made directly to the Public Works Loans Commissioners to repay local authority "overhanging debt" after housing transfer. Since the arrangements to repay overhanging debt were put in place in 1999, payments totalling £132.68 million have been made in 2000, payments totalling £143.49 million in 2001 and payments totalling £256.733 million in 2002; a total of £532.9 million.

Local Government Finance

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average cash reserves were for shire county councils in each of the last 10 years.

Christopher Leslie: The average cash reserves for shire county councils were as shown in the table.
	
		Average cash reserves(25) for shire county councils(26) at the beginning of the financial year
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			  
			 1992–93 20.8 
			 1993–94 32.6 
			 1994–95 45.9 
			 1995–96 47.0 
			 1996–97 38.9 
			 1997–98 37.7 
			 1998–99 30.5 
			 1999–2000 32.0 
			 2000–01 34.7 
			 2001–02(27) 39.8 
		
	
	(25) Cash reserves include schools' reserves, other earmarked reserves and unallocated reserves.
	(26) County councils underwent reorganisations between 1995–96 and 1997–98, resulting in the creation of Unitary authorities. Both the number of county councils and the average geographical area for which remaining county councils were responsible therefore reduced during this period.
	(27) Provisional.
	Source:
	RS forms 1992–93 to 2000–01.

Local Government Finance

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cash reserves of (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council and (b) Shropshire county council were in each of the last 10 years.

Christopher Leslie: The cash reserves of Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council and Shropshire county council were as shown in the following table:
	
		Cash reserves(28) in Shrewsbury and Atcham and Shropshire at the beginning of the financial year -- £000
		
			  Shrewsbury and Atcham Shropshire 
		
		
			 1992–93 6,288 9,911 
			 1993–94 4,323 12,357 
			 1994–95 4,131 22,078 
			 1995–96 5,255 14,812 
			 1996–97 5,787 10,198 
			 1997–98 5,969 8,852 
			 1998–99 6,516 4,745 
			 1999–2000 6,936 7,944 
			 2000–01 6,367 8,490 
			 2001–02 5,042 4,562 
		
	
	(28) Cash reserves include schools' reserves, other earmarked reserves and unallocated reserves.
	Source
	RS forms 1992–93 to 2001–02

Local Government Finance

Alan Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from North Tyneside council regarding the level of the council's financial settlement for 2003–04.

Christopher Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received one representation from the Tyneside council regarding the provisional local government finance settlement 2003–04. The representation by email was received after the deadline for the close of consultation.

Public Amenities (Charitable Trusts)

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he gives local authorities in respect of handing over control of public amenities to charitable trusts which have exemptions for tax and business rates; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not provided any advice to local authorities on the transfer of public amenities to charitable trusts.

Regeneration Funding

Adam Price: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much regeneration funding was received by each of the English regions in each year between 1974–75 and 2001–02; and what the estimated figures are for (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05; and (d) 2005–06, (i) in cash terms and (ii) at constant 2001–02 prices.

Tony McNulty: Expenditure by English region for urban regeneration is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Table 1 shows total cash outturn expenditure from 1992–93 to 2000–01. Comparative figures are not available before 1992–93. Expenditure on neighbourhood renewal programmes by English region is given in Table 2.
	Following the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting systems, outturn figures from 2001–02, and plans, are compiled on a resource basis. Resource plans for 2003–04 to 2005–06 will be published shortly.
	
		Table 1: Urban regeneration outturn and plans -- £ million
		
			 Outturn   Plans 
			  1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Cash 1,195 1,420 1,215 1,039 1,154 1,239 1,223 1,182 1,333 - - 
			 Resource - - - - - - - - - 1,452 1,658 
			 At constant 2001–02 prices 955 1,162 1,008 887 1,016 1,125 1,140 1,129 1,302 1,452 1,658 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Neighbourhood renewal outturn and plans by English region  -- £ thousand
		
			 Region 1998–99 cash outturn 1999–2000 cash outturn 2000–01 cash outturn 2001–02 resource outturn 2002–03 resource plans 
		
		
			 North East 14 756 3,128 14,242 74,080 
			 North West 39 932 5,852 13,527 122,880 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 63 774 2,871 14,047 78,330 
			 East Midlands 11 460 1,532 7,855 39,950 
			 West Midlands 65 640 6,632 10,244 63,920 
			 Eastern 24 173 695 3,435 21,270 
			 South East 18 370 1,723 6,171 18,480 
			 South West 10 204 1,091 3,001 19,420 
			 London 17 246 10,771 26,108 118,170 
			 Totals 261 4,555 34,295 98,631 556,500 
			 At constant 2001–02 prices 243 4,350 33,502 98,631 556,500

Sefton Council

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding Sefton Council has received from the Community Empowerment Fund; what organisations manage the fund; what projects have been developed; and which communities benefit.

Barbara Roche: The Community Empowerment Fund for Sefton totals £435,432.00 for the three-year period up to 2004.
	The fund is managed by the Sefton Community Empowerment Fund Steering Group on behalf of the Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) who are the lead organisation and accountable body.
	The Community Empowerment Fund is being used to develop the initiatives and mechanisms needed to support the Sefton Voluntary and Community Sector Network which supports the full engagement of communities in local decision making and service planning. These include the creation of a Network Development Team; support for the North Sefton Community Development Project; the mapping of the particular needs of groups who have historically been marginalised including black and racial minorities, lesbian, gay and bisexual, faith communities and the disabled community.

Social Exclusion Unit

Alan Beith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Social Exclusion Unit has made of the impact of debt on poor families.

Barbara Roche: The Social Exclusion Unit has not made any specific assessment of the impact of debt on poor families. It has, however in previous reports, highlighted the effects debt can have on particular disadvantaged groups. In a recent report, "Reducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners", the SEU assessed the impact of debt on a prisoner's chances of re-offending.
	Also, "Access to Financial Services", a report of Policy Action Team 14, published in November 1999, found that many people in low income households and on tight budgets can ill afford the burden of servicing loans, and that there is a need for practical alternatives to expensive credit.

Urban Regeneration

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the implications for urban regeneration in the north-west of the recent decision in the case of Rowlinson v. Warrington Borough Council.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to make a statement in this regard. The judgment in Rowlinson v. Warrington was made in the light of the facts in that case; The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not convinced that they are of wider or general application.

HEALTH

Bursary Scheme

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the introduction of the bursary scheme for students taking the Diploma in Social Work.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 January 2003
	The bursary for social work students commences in September 2003 and will be payable to new and existing students who ordinarily reside in England, who are undertaking the new degree in social work or the diploma in social work and who are not funded through training by their employer.
	The bursary is non means-tested and is being introduced to encourage more students to enter training. It will be paid at the rate of £3,400 for students residing in London during their studies, £3,000 for those living outside London or £2,600 for those who continue to reside in the parental home. This includes £500 per year towards travelling costs incurred during practice placements. The student's assessed liability for tuition fees will also be met.
	Students are still entitled to apply for a student loan and if they have special needs may also be entitled to allowances from the local education authority (LEA). A means tested bursary scheme already exists for social work students who hold a first degree who are not entitled to student loans and LEA allowances. The General Social Care Council administers this.

Alzheimer's Awareness Week

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to support Alzheimer's Awareness Week in July.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 20 January 2003
	The Alzheimer's Society has achieved great success over the years in raising awareness of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
	This has been very important in helping people with dementia and their carers receive the care and support that they need. Raising awareness is important for delivering on the standard set out for mental health in the older people's national service framework.
	While currently the Department has no particular plans around this year's awareness week, we fully support its overall aim.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of children had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Information on numbers of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not collected centrally.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received on the member failures of care homes to pass on 'free' nursing care contributions to residents from (a) Members of Parliament by party group and (b) members of the public.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Of the in excess of 20,073 letters received by the Department from hon. Members and the in excess of 31,278 received from the public in the last 12 months; 332 and 301 covered issues relating to free nursing care, including fee levels, the process of assessment, banding levels for registered nursing care contributions, policy justification, the mechanisms of payment and the costs of equipment, broken down by party group as follows:
	Labour—165
	Conservatives—126
	Liberal Democrats—36

Cruse Bereavement Care

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department has provided for Cruse Bereavement Care; and what assessment he has made of their contribution to the alleviation of mental ill health.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has provided Cruse Bereavement Care with funding over a number of years under the Section 64 General Scheme of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. Details of current projects and funding are:
	
		
			 Projects Funding 
		
		
			 Quality care in bereavement £180,000 over 3 years from 1999(29) 
			 Bereavement care—improving access £176,000 over 3 years from 2000 
			 Promoting bereavement awareness £90,000 over 3 years from 2001 
			 Service delivery plan to meet client need £150,000 over 3 years from 2002 
		
	
	(29)Project completion now 2003
	The Government recognise that to deliver a modern, dependable health and social care service, the voluntary sector has a crucial role to play in helping service users cope with their mental health problems. We appreciate and value the very good work being done by voluntary organisations such as Cruse.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programmes

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support research into (a) drug treatment programmes and (b) alcohol harm reduction programmes in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Details of the amount spent by the Department on research into drug treatment over the last five years are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Year Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1998 176,502 
			 1999 201,333 
			 2000 527,803 
			 2001 866,982 
			 2002 (30)379,065 
		
	
	(30) Estimate
	Details of the amount spent on research on average, into alcohol harm reduction in each of the last five years are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Year Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1998–99 Nil 
			 1999–2000 40,000 
			 2000–01 68,000 
			 2001–02 71,410 
			 2002–03 73,770

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programmes

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support (a) alcohol abuse treatment programmes and (b) drug treatment programmes in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: All funding for alcohol treatment services and all funding for drug treatment services until 2001–02 was drawn from the mainstream budgets of the national health service and local authorities. The amounts spent on treatment services from these budgets was substantial, although the method of funding means that it is not possible to give figures on expenditure.
	In 2001–02, in addition to the funding from NHS and local authority mainstream budgets, the Government put into place a pooled drug treatment budget which meant resources were specifically made available for drug treatment. In 2001–02, the pooled drug treatment budget was 143.85 million and in 2002–03, the budget was 195.7 million.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programmes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure that ex-heroin misusers can re-enter their employment following treatment.

Hazel Blears: The national treatment agency, which was set up by Government in April 2001 to increase the quality and availability of drug treatment services, has recently published the models of care (MOC) guidance, which is in effect a national service framework for drug treatment services. The MOC proposes a whole-systems approach, which includes a role for education, training, employment and housing as key elements of care.
	As the target audience includes employers discussions took place between officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the guidance contained in the MOC is in line with guidance issued by the other government departments.
	Funding has also been specifically allocated for the re-integration of substance misusers into employment. The Department for Work and Pensions allocated £40 million in 2001, spread over three years, to help drug users find employment in 31 pathfinder areas in England and Wales. In practice most drug treatment programmes should include help and advice on re-entering employment, where appropriate.

Food Supplements Directive

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will lay before Parliament the Statutory Instrument to implement the provisions of the Foods Supplements Directive.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency expects The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 to be laid before Parliament in June 2003.

Free Nursing Care

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will ensure the criteria for free nursing care apply to all patients suffering from dementia and Alzheimers; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: People with dementia who are assessed as needing care in a care home that provides nursing care, will receive an appropriate level of national health service funding to their care consistent with the level of nursing input, on the same basis as residents with other conditions.
	Draft supplementary guidance on NHS funded nursing care was issued for consultation on 20 December 2002. This makes specific reference to the importance of NHS nurses considering the mental health needs of patients as well as their physical health needs.

Healthy Start Scheme

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mothers on income support are projected to (a) breastfeed and (b) bottlefeed in each of the next five years.

Jacqui Smith: We do not collect information by this specific category of mother. The five-yearly national infant feeding survey provides historic data on the incidence of breastfeeding among women from social class V and those mothers without a partner. The latest survey shows a significant increase in the incidence of breastfeeding in mothers from social class V in England and Wales from 50 per cent, in 1995 to 59 per cent. in 2000.
	The Department has set a national health service priorities and planning framework target to increase the initiation of breastfeeding by two percentage points per year over the next three years, particularly focussing on disadvantaged groups.

Health Protection Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy to proceed with the transfer of envisaged functions to the HPA on 1 April.

Hazel Blears: Yes. We expect to lay statutory instruments before Parliament shortly to establish a special health authority from 1 April 2003.

Health Protection Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action he has taken to address Point 4 in the summary of the report to the steering group of the HPA in relation to the potential impact of a deliberate release of biological materials over the next few months;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the risks associated with the transfer of (a) the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, (b) the CIRS, (c) the Central Public Health Laboratory, and (d) the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre to the new Health Protection Agency; and how these risks are to be minimised;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the level of acceptable risk as outlined in the statements made in point 4 in the summary of the report to the Steering Group of the HPA;
	(4)  what actions he has taken following the submission of the report to the HPA Steering Group on HPA Business Continuity Risk Assessment;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the risks associated with the establishment of regional field services in the new Health Protection Agency; and how these risks are to be minimised;
	(6)  what steps he has taken to reduce the impact on decision-making within the various organisations being amalgamated into the HPA prior to 1 April highlighted in the Report to the Steering Group.

Hazel Blears: One of the steering group's key roles is to provide a forum for the various organisations forming the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to raise and resolve issues which may impact on decision making in the interim period. This will continue.
	As part of its normal business, the group reviewed a report on business continuity risks in relation to the proposed establishment of the HPA. This report included input from the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, the Chemical Incidents Response Service and other chemical providers, the Central Public Health Laboratory, the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and from a number of regions in relation to the establishment of field services.
	Having reviewed the papers, the steering group endorsed a number of actions. The key decision was the appointment of interim directors to provide leadership and business continuity in key service delivery functions. These interim arrangements have since been announced. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 20 January.
	As regards the deliberate release of biological materials, the Department, in conjunction with other agencies, is developing plans, which take account of the planned establishment of the HPA from 1 April.

Health Protection Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will bring forward legislation to create the Health Protection Agency as an executive non-departmental public body.

Hazel Blears: We aim to establish the Health Protection Agency as a non-Departmental public body, when Parliamentary time allows.

Infant Deafness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units operating a newborn screening unit for deafness at birth (a) there are now and (b) are planned to open in 2003; where they are located; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Twenty-three sites are currently providing newborn hearing screening. We expect to bring on a further 16 sites by the end of May 2003, with approximately 30 additional sites during the remainder of the financial year 2003–04.
	First and second phase sites, by health authority (HA) area, are as follows.
	First Phase
	Avon HA
	Barnsley HA
	Bath HA
	Bradford HA
	Calderdale and Huddersfield HA
	Camden and Islington HA
	Dewsbury HA
	Tower Hamlets HA
	East Sussex HA
	Manchester HA
	Milton Keynes HA
	North Cheshire HA
	North Derbyshire HA
	North Staffordshire HA
	Northumberland HA
	Nottingham HA
	Oxfordshire HA
	Sheffield HA
	Shropshire HA
	Southampton and Winchester HA
	Stockport HA
	Swindon HA
	Waltham Forest HA
	Second Phase
	Barnet, Enfield and Haringey HA
	Bedfordshire HA
	Bury, Rochdale and Oldham HA
	Cambridgeshire HA
	Croydon HA
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw HA
	Dudley HA
	Gloucestershire HA
	North Hants HA
	Redbridge HA
	Salford HA
	Trafford HA
	South Wiltshire HA
	Bolton HA
	East Riding and Hull HA
	Portsmouth and Isle of Wight HA
	Sites are listed by former Health Authority areas, as these were the boundaries in existence when the selection process started.

Mental Health

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mixed sex acute mental health wards there are in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North of England and (c) England.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not available in this format, as compliance is measured on a trust by trust basis and not at individual ward level.

Mental Health

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the impact on the Government's policy on those suffering from (a) dementia and (b) Alzheimers of the Health Service Ombudsman's ruling on the Malcolm Pointon case and the Squires case.

Jacqui Smith: The Health Service Ombudsman's report of this case has not yet been published. We will comment on the report once it is published by the Ombudsman's office.

Non-NHS Hospitals

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the non-NHS hospitals in (a) the Isle of Wight, (b) Sussex, (c) Hampshire, (d) Dorset and (e) Wiltshire which are accredited to provide (a) cancer services, (b) coronary care services and (c) orthopaedic services to NHS patients.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not have a list of accredited private and non-National Health Service hospitals. Contracts for these private sector services are negotiated locally and as such the information requested is not collected centrally.
	Information has been provided by the relevant Strategic Health Authorities and is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Cancer Care Coronary Care Orthopaedics 
		
		
			 King Edward VII, Midhurst King Edward VII, Midhurst Esperance Hospital, Eastbourne 
			 Prospect Hospice, Swindon Winterbourne Hospital, Dorchester Horder Centre Crowborough 
			 Winterbourne Hospital, Dorchester Harbour Hospital, Poole BUPA Hastings 
			  Nuffield (Derwent Suite) Bournemouth King Edward VII, Midhurst 
			  New Hall Hospital, Salisbury Nuffield Hospital, Ashdown 
			  BUPA, Southampton Nuffield Hospital, Chichester 
			  Wessex Nuffield Hospital, Eastleigh BUPA Gatwick 
			  Sarum Road Hospital, Winchester BMI, Goring Hall 
			   CAPIO, North Downs 
			   BMI, Runnymede 
			   Woking, Nuffield 
			   Nuffield, Guildford 
			   Ridgeway Hospital, Swindon 
			   Harbour Hospital, Poole 
			   Nuffield Hospital, Bournemouth 
			   Winterbourne Hospital, Dorchester 
			   BUPA, Portsmouth 
			   Sarum Road Hospital, Winchester 
			   The Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke 
			   The Orchard Hospital, Isle of Wight

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what channels of co-ordination will remain between the PHLS laboratories that will transfer to the NHS.

Hazel Blears: The transferring laboratories are expected to become part of existing or developing national health service pathology laboratory networks and to have access to appropriate channels of co-ordination, both with NHS laboratories and with those in the proposed Health Protection Agency.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in cost to the NHS of procurement for former PHLS laboratories of microbiology equipment and consumables following the end of central procurement on 1 April.

Hazel Blears: In order to maintain the current benefits and economies of scale that have been achieved through national Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) contracts, these contracts will be continued during 2003–04.
	During the next few months, the PHLS will be working closely with the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency, in consultation with NHS trusts, to review these contracts and produce recommendations to the Department of Health on future supply options.
	This will ensure that the savings achieved by the PHLS central procurement are not lost as a result of the transfer of public health laboratories to the NHS.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk that the achievements of the modernisation and reform programme within the PHLS laboratory network will be affected following their transfer to local NHS trusts; and what action has been taken to minimise these risks.

Hazel Blears: The transfer of Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) laboratories to national health service trusts is intended to contribute to raising the standards of microbiology in the NHS as a whole and to build on the standards they have reached. PHLS staff and management have been closely involved at each stage of the process to ensure that any risks inherent in the transfers are identified and managed.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy to privatise the residual PHLS organisation after 1 April.

Hazel Blears: The Public Health Service Laboratory Service Board is an executive non-departmental public body, created by primary legislation. Until changes are made to primary legislation, it will continue in being with responsibility for production of media for microbiology laboratories.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the risk that the IT systems supporting the work of those public health laboratories transferring to NHS trusts will collapse; and what action has been taken to minimise these risks;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to unbundle the IT networks that link the PHLS laboratories that will be transferred to the NHS.

Hazel Blears: All the existing information technology systems will remain in place for the time being and no networks will be unbundled unless the regional public health microbiologist and the national health service trust(s) are satisfied that this is in the interests of both the NHS and of public health. NHS trusts will only introduce alternative systems after the risks have been assessed
	Many of these networks also connect these laboratories with the central and regional laboratories that are intended to be transferred to the Health Protection Agency and they will need to be retained in order to support continuing public health functions.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk that those public health laboratories transferring to NHS trusts will reduce their commitment to public health work for CCDCs, local authorities and the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre; and what action has been taken to minimise these risks.

Hazel Blears: The transferring laboratories will maintain the current level of commitment to reporting and other public health work. The following actions are being taken to support the commitment to public health.
	The laboratories are being transferred with the same level of funding, which will be maintained for at least the first two years and it is expected that these developments will strengthen the public health microbiology outputs of the national health service.
	Each laboratory that transfers to a NHS trust will have a public health microbiologist, who will work with consultants in communicable disease control, local authorities, the communicable disease surveillance centre and other public health agencies. Service level agreements are being prepared to maintain this work.
	In due course the inspector of microbiology will ensure that standards of microbiological practice are maintained throughout laboratories in the NHS and the Health Protection Agency, including appropriate attention to public health activities.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk that those public health laboratories transferring to NHS trusts will lose the surge capacity necessary to deal with outbreaks; and what action has been taken to minimise these risks.

Hazel Blears: We do not anticipate any of the laboratories losing their surge capacity, as the appropriate level of funding and staffing will be transferred with the laboratories.
	The new role of regional public health microbiologist will enhance the capacity to co-ordinate surge capacity within public health regions, and interim appointments are now being made to these posts.
	The chief executive of the national health service has written to the chief executives of the receiving NHS trusts emphasising the need for the transfer process to be as smooth and efficient as possible. Maintenance of the existing functional arrangements such as the provision of surge capacity is clearly an important part of the transfer process.

Primary Care Trust Chairmen

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what salary is paid to each Primary Care Trust chairman in England.

John Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will introduce the public education programme about prostate cancer announced in the NHS Prostate Cancer Programme in September 2000.

Hazel Blears: The national health service prostate cancer programme stated that an education programme for the public, patients and professionals on the risks associated with individual testing for prostate cancer will be introduced. This has been achieved through the prostate cancer risk management programme, which sent out evidence-based primary care resource packs to all general practitioners in England from 23 September 2002 to aid them in counselling men who are worried about prostate cancer.
	This ensures that men make an informed choice about whether or not to have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, based on an information leaflet developed specifically for men about the advantages and disadvantages of having a PSA test.
	The Department is funding a Section 64 grant to the prostate cancer charity to increase further information about prostate cancer. This is supporting the creation, review, provision and dissemination of a range of awareness material, supported by £135,000 over three years.

Recruitment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 608W, on recruitment, how many nursing agencies have been removed from the list of approved agencies which have failed to comply with the code of practice in the recruitment of overseas nurses since it was established; and if he will list them.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 December 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 535W.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Data Protection

Peter Duncan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what guidance is given to Government Departments in dealing with information on individual files that has been accepted as inaccurate under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Yvette Cooper: General guidance on compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 is issued by the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner's booklet, "The Data Protection Act: Legal Guidance", contains a section on complying with the requirement in the 1998 Act's fourth data protection principle that personal data must be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

Judicial Competence

John Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will make it his policy (a) to introduce rules relating to the conduct and competence of judges in the small claims court and (b) to introduce independent assessors (i) to monitor the observance of such rules and (ii) to permit assessment to inform future appointment by way of promotion or otherwise.

Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor has no plans to introduce either rules relating specifically to the conduct and competence of judges in small claims cases, or independent assessors to monitor the observance of such rules. The decisions of judges in those cases are, of course, subject to the possibility of appeal (as are the decisions of judges in other jurisdictions). Where there is no complaint about a judicial decision, but it is alleged that a judge has failed to meet the high standard of conduct expected of all judges, the Lord Chancellor, as head of the judiciary, is able to consider a complaint about the judge's conduct.
	Small claims cases are generally dealt with by full-time District judges or part-time Deputy District judges. The Lord Chancellor would usually expect candidates for appointment as District judges to have gained experience of sitting as a part-time Deputy. Deputy District judges are observed, and appraised, in their work by full-time judges, enabling both their performance, and suitability for promotion to full-time office, to be assessed.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much producing his Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

David Blunkett: The last annual report for my Department was published on 13 June 2002 and was also made available on the Home Office Internet website in HTML format from September 2002. The cover price was £14.75. The cost to my Department of producing the report was as follows (all figures include VAT):
	
		Cost of producing report
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			 Design and editing 35,724.82 
			 Design for Internet version 2,600.00 
			 Printing and purchase of 1,200 copies (31)16,567.98 
			 Total cost 54,892.80 
		
	
	(31) This figure includes 20 per cent. discount on cover price of 1,100 copies and 60 per cent. discount on remaining 100 copies.
	Under the terms of their contract with my Department TSO Ltd. use their commercial judgment to decide the total size of the print-run and bear all the remaining cost of printing the copies over and above the number required by the Department for distribution. Information on the total number of copies printed and sold at cover price is not therefore available to the Department.
	The Department distributed 200 copies to Parliament members of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Members of the Cabinet and Leaders of the Opposition Parties. Some 400 copies were distributed across the Department to directors, heads of unit and frontline staff. About 400 copies have also been distributed to the press, other Government Departments, agencies, and non-governmental organisations and other bodies with an interest in the Department's work.

Asylum Department

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed in the Asylum Department of the Home Office in each year since 1997; and what the rate of absenteeism was in each year.

Beverley Hughes: Records are available for the years from 2000. The number of full-time equivalent staff employed in Asylum Group was 422 in April 2000, 1,129 in April 2001 and 1,065 in April 2002.
	Data is not recorded in terms of absenteeism. Sickness absence for the Home Office is recorded and published by the Cabinet Office.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his performance against the target of 30,000 deportations a year of failed asylum applicants; and what plans he has to amend that target.

Beverley Hughes: The 2002–03 target of 30,000 removals per year was based on the public service agreement (PSA) to enforce the immigration laws more effectively by removing a greater proportion of failed asylum seekers. Latest information on performance against this target will be published in the "Asylum Statistics Q4 2001 United Kingdom" on 28 February.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has always made it clear that, the target for 30,000 removals set for 2002–03 was aspirational and hugely ambitious. In order to reach and exceed 30,000 removals per year, we needed to remove about 2,500 people per month. This target was not attainable.
	The PSA in 2003–04 remains the same, ie to enforce the immigration laws more effectively by removing a greater proportion of failed asylum seekers. The proportion is measured by comparing the total number of refused asylum seekers (including dependants) removed from the UK with the total number of refused asylum seekers (including dependants) who have either exhausted all appeal rights or not appealed within 15 working days of the despatch of the refusal decision or meet the criteria for non-suspensive appeals.

Burglary Sentences

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants have, pursuant to section 111 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, been given the mandatory sentence imposed by that section in relation to three separate occasions of offences of domestic burglary.

Hilary Benn: Information reported to the Home Office shows that six persons were sentenced under section 111 of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (previously section 4 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997) in England and Wales for a third offence of burglary by the end of 2001.
	An offender has to have committed an offence, been apprehended, prosecuted and convicted, on three separate occasions since 1 December 1999 to be subject to the mandatory sentence. Given that a custodial sentence for the first or second offence since December 1999 is likely in many cases it will take some time before significant numbers of offenders who qualify for the mandatory sentence appear before the courts.
	Information for 2002 is due for publication in the late autumn of 2003.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 11 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss H. Abdi.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 20 January 2003.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Ali Mohamad Oshmand.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 15 January 2003.

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002, Official Report, column 232W, if he will ask his noble Friend the Lord Falconer of Thoroton to raise at his next weekly meeting with the chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau the cases of constituents from Colchester who have been waiting months for their applications to be processed; and if he will make a statement on the operational performance of the Criminal Records Bureau measured against targets.

Hilary Benn: I will ask my noble friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton to raise with the chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), the issue of cases of constituents from Colchester.
	The CRB has a set of published customer service standards in relation to its response times for disclosure applications:
	Timeliness of service 90 per cent. of enhanced disclosures issued within three weeks;
	95 per cent. of standard disclosures issued within one week.
	The CRB has so far been unable to meet these service standards.
	However, the Bureau's Service Improvement Plan is steadily delivering improved results. Over the last six full weeks before Christmas the CRB has been averaging around 45,000 disclosures per week, which is over double the weekly output issued by the police under the previous arrangements and compares to a weekly average of 24,000 in August and an average intake of 40,000 applications per week.
	The average turnaround time for disclosure applications is now about five weeks but it is recognised that there are a significant number of older outstanding applications which have taken much longer than this to process.
	A factor that is contributing to the bureau's inability to meet its service standards is that a small number of police forces have been unable to keep pace with the increase in the volume of applications. As some 90 per cent. of applications received by the bureau are for enhanced disclosures requiring a local police check, the capacity of the police to carry out their local searches has a significant impact on the overall process. To deal with this situation the police are recruiting and training additional staff. While this is well advanced the problem will persist for a while.
	The CRB is working with the police to address the situation. Pending the recruitment and training by the police of new permanent staff, the CRB has offered to provide staff to assist those small numbers of forces that have the greater need to improve capacity, and this assistance has been taken up in some cases. These additional local checks are not needed for standard disclosures whose processing times are therefore steadily falling.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) planned and (b) actual time taken was for each stage in commissioning the Criminal Records Bureau.

Hilary Benn: The table reflects the planned and actual time taken to complete each of the various stages in the implementation of the Registration and the High Level Disclosure Services by the Criminal Records Bureau. (CRB).
	
		
			 Stage (a) Planned time (b) Actual time 
		
		
			 Implementation of Registration Service (manual) March 2001 May 2001 
			 Implementation of Registration Service (automated) March 2001 July 2001 
			 Implementation of High Level Disclosure Service—System available for Service Testing April 2001 November 2001 
			 Implementation of High Level Disclosure Service—Service Commencement August 2001 March 2002 
		
	
	Part of the reason for the delay in the service commencement was the decision to insert a two month model office and pre-go live pilot phase.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Criminal Records Bureau is taking to review the Disclosure Application Form (a) to simplify it and (b) to make it easier to read and complete.

Hilary Benn: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) reviews its services continuously and uses market research and analysis of errors and complaints to shape its services.
	The guidance notes that accompany the Disclosure Application Form have just been reviewed and some fundamental changes have been made to simplify the process of completion. The notes are now in a graphical format and rely less on text; this has shortened the notes from 25 pages to six. It is envisaged that the improved guidance notes will make the Disclosure Application Form easier to complete. The new guidance notes will be issued in February.
	We have also recently taken a decision to no longer ask applicants to complete all sections of the Disclosure Application form. The relevant sections are E and F, which include details of applicants' bank account numbers, marital status. The Registered Bodies are being kept fully informed of the changes being made, and the CRB is providing ongoing guidance and advice to them to ensure they fully understand their role of ensuring that Disclosure Applications Forms are correctly completed before onward transmission to the CRB.
	An independent team, led by Patrick Carter, have taken a fundamental look at the strategy and operations of the CRB and its private-sector partner, Capita, and recently submitted their conclusions and recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. Depending on decisions taken on these recommendations changes made in application processes and related business processes may affect the Disclosure Application Form. However, there is no project under way at present in relation to the layout of the form pending the outcome of these deliberations.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he would set out for each month since the Criminal Records Bureau commenced operating, how many (a) standard and (b) enhanced disclosures were (i) requested and (ii) supplied.

Hilary Benn: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) cannot provide information about the number of standard and enhanced disclosures requested because this decision rests with the registered body, depending upon the position applied for.
	The following is a breakdown of the number of standard and enhanced disclosures that have been supplied, since the CRB commenced operating:
	
		
			  Total applications received Standard disclosures issued Enhanced disclosures issued Total disclosures issued 
		
		
			 B/F 9 7 14 21 
			 March 2,765 15 6 21 
			 April 39,713 409 2,389 2,798 
			 May 87,865 2,070 17,376 19,446 
			 June 90,204 4,315 30,585 34,900 
			 July 159,393 12,828 76,258 89,086 
			 August 144,030 14,116 96,295 110,411 
			 September 204,868 16,497 116,238 132,735 
			 October 227,340 22,620 159,226 181,846 
			 November 187,463 23,257 159,200 182,457 
			 December 151,784 22,347 148,706 171,053 
			 Total 1,295,434 118,481 806,293 924,774 
		
	
	Many of the outstanding applications at any time will be the subject of requests to applicants for registered bodies for future information—for example, out of the number shown for end of December, 98,960 were back with customers for this reason. Others will have been recently received—for example, within the December total, 59,960 had been in the CRB less than three weeks and were hence not overdue.
	Unfortunately, it has not been possible to provide a breakdown between the different levels of disclosure because there are no IT procedures at present to extract this data from the CRB database. It is expected that this functionality will become available in subsequent system releases. As a general rule of thumb, 13 per cent. of all applications received are standard.
	The Criminal Records Bureau has neither received nor processed List 99 applications. There was a process initiated during summer 2002 where a manual off-line check was conducted on persons who were applying to work within the education sector. The CRB examined its systems and issued letters to employers in advance of the issue of disclosures to individuals. This exercise was conducted to assist education authorities with their recruitment and it was completed at the end of July. There were no service standards involved and therefore no question of these checks being outstanding at any time.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) date and (b) purpose of each (i) past and (ii) planned system released from the Criminal Records Bureau's computer system.

Hilary Benn: The table reflects the time taken to complete each of the various stages in the implementation of the Registration and the High Level Disclosure Services by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the purpose of each computer system release.
	
		
			 Stage Implementation date Purpose of stage 
		
		
			 Implementation of Registration Service (manual) May 2001 To commence the registration of organisations using a manual process in preparation for the implementation of the Disclosure Service 
			 Implementation of Registration Service (automated) July 2001 To continue registering organisation using an automated process 
			 Implementation of High Level Disclosure Service—System available for Service Testing November 2001 System and service testing to ensure that the Disclosure Service was robust before live operation 
			 Implementation of High Level Disclosure Service—Service Commencement March 2002 Disclosure Service 'go live'. Commenced issuing Standard and Enhanced Disclosures 
		
	
	There have been numerous minor releases to deliver enhanced performance since March 2002. Information regarding future system releases cannot be given at present because the CRB is now considering the recommendations of the Home Office independent review before planning the timing of possible future system releases.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for disclosures by the Criminal Records Bureau were cleared by (a) three weeks and (b) six weeks in each month since April 2002.

Hilary Benn: The following is a breakdown of the number of Disclosures cleared by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in three weeks and six weeks for each month, since April 2002, up to the end of December 2002:
	
		Total disclosures issued
		
			  April May June July August September October November December 
		
		
			 Standards 409 2,070 4,315 12,828 14,116 16,497 22,620 23,257 22,347 
			 Enhanced 2,389 17,376 30,585 76,258 96,295 116,238 159,226 159,200 148,706 
			 Total 2,798 19,446 34,900 89,086 110,411 132,735 181,846 182,457 171,053 
		
	
	
		Analysis of numbers cleared in three to six weeks
		
			  April May June July August September October November December 
		
		
			 Standards  
			 % cleared in three weeks 65.1 40.9 12.4 90.4 69.4 61.9 90.2 82.4 86.0 
			 Number cleared 266 847 535 11,597 9,865 10,163 20,405 19,164 19,218 
			 % cleared in six weeks 99.7 96.3 75.0 93.4 95.6 90.7 96.0 93.5 92.5 
			 Number cleared 408 1,993 3,236 11,981 13,589 14,891 21,717 21,745 20,671 
			 Enhanced  
			 % cleared in three weeks 62.3 34.5 22.6 74.0 46.8 40.9 52.3 49.2 56.2 
			 Number cleared 1,488 5,995 6,912 56,431 52,044 54,041 95,107 89,769 96,132 
			 % cleared in six weeks 99.8 94.7 76.9 89.1 87.3 76.2 79.2 74.8 72.5 
			 Number cleared 2,384 16,455 23,520 67,946 97,082 100,682 144,024 136,478 124,013 
			   
			 Total  
			 Number cleared three weeks 1,754 6,842 7,447 68,028 61,909 64,204 115,512 108,933 115,350 
			 Number cleared six weeks 2,792 18,448 26,756 79,927 110,671 115,573 165,741 158,223 144,684

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims have been made to the Criminal Records Bureau for loss of earnings caused by delays in processing disclosure applications; how many have been agreed; what is (a) the highest and (b) the lowest compensation paid; what is the total compensation paid to date; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: 212 disclosure applicants claim to have lost earnings because the bureau delayed sending disclosures to them. These claims also involved elements of delay, inconvenience, and embarrassment. Of these claims, 166 are resolved and 46 await assessment. The highest sum paid out is £2,400.00 and the lowest is £15.00. The total sum paid out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for these claims is £28,900.

Criminal Records Bureau (Capita Contract)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has (a) made and (b) commissioned of the (i) viability and (ii) adaptability of the computer system provided under contract by Capita to support the current and future work of the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will place a copy of the assessment in the Library.

Hilary Benn: In August 2002 French Thornton Partnership Ltd. were commissioned to conduct an independent review of the Criminal Records Bureau core systems. The review focused on the following three areas:
	integrity of the architecture and quality of build;
	capacity planning and sizing models; and
	future proofing and suitability of the system.
	A report was produced on 16 September 2002, and action is being taken or has been taken on the recommendations. A copy of this cannot be placed in the Library as the content is classified Commercial In Confidence.

Criminal Records Checks

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been waiting for their Criminal Records Bureau applications to be processed for (a) three and (b) six weeks.

Hilary Benn: The number of applications outstanding that are over three weeks old is 191,448 and the number of applications outstanding over six weeks is 155,413.
	In order to process a disclosure application the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) requires a correctly completed application form. The bureau has identified 81,440 disclosure applications, of those outstanding over six weeks, where either the registered body and /or applicant has either incorrectly completed the application or not filled in the mandatory parts of the form. Until the CRB receives this information, it cannot complete the disclosure process.

Criminal Records Checks

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding (a) standard and (b) enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (i) disclosure and (ii) list 99 applications there were in each of the last nine months.

Hilary Benn: The following table represents the total number of disclosure applications that have been recorded as being outstanding work in progress at the end of each month over the last nine months:
	
		
			 Month Number of outstanding disclosures 
		
		
			 April 40,223 
			 May 94,873 
			 June 148,310 
			 July 179,347 
			 August 192,443 
			 September 236,433 
			 October 258,376 
			 November 277,462 
			 December 251,334 
		
	
	Many of the outstanding applications at any time will be the subject of requests to applicants for registered bodies for future information—for example, out of the number shown for end of December, 98,960 were back with customers for this reason. Others will have been recently received—for example, within the December total, 59,960 had been in the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) less than three weeks and were hence not overdue.
	Unfortunately, it has not been possible to provide a breakdown between the different levels of Disclosure because there are no IT procedures at present to extract this data from the CRB database. It is expected that this functionality will become available in subsequent system releases. As a general rule of thumb, 13 per cent. of all applications received are Standard.
	The Criminal Records Bureau has neither received nor processed List 99 applications. There was a process initiated during summer 2002 where a manual off-line check was conducted on persons who were applying to work within the education sector. The CRB examined its systems and issued letters to employers in advance of the issue of Disclosures to individuals. This exercise was conducted to assist education authorities with their recruitment and it was completed at the end of July. There were no service standards involved and therefore no question of these checks being outstanding at any time.

Criminal Records Checks

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the service level agreements that have been agreed regarding the speed of processing between his Department and Capita in respect of the Criminal Records Bureau.

Hilary Benn: The following appropriate extracts from the Contract between Capita and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), inclusive of necessary definitions of processing Service Levels are listed. The times allowed are for the Capita part of the process—the overall CRB service standards also allow time for the Agency and Police elements of the process leading to the overall published CRB service standards.
	
		Table 4A: Registration Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
		
			 Service Element Service Measure Service Level 
		
		
			 (Ala) Registration routine enquiry (including postal correspondence) percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time 99.0 
			 (Alb) Registration routine enquiry (internet) percentage of instances performed within 1 day elapsed time 99.0 
			 (A2) New registration percentage of instances performed within five days elapsed time 95.0 
			 (A3) Registration changes (including additional or replacement counter- signatory) percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time 98.0 
		
	
	
		Table 4B: Certificate Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
		
			 Service Element Service Measure Service Level 
		
		
			 (Bl) Invalid application for CCC or HLC. Percentage of instances performed within two days elapsed time 98.0 
			 (B2) Valid application for CCC: up to despatch of certificate. Percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time 98.0 
			 (B3) Telephone Application for HLC: up to issue of application form for signature and counter-signature. Percentage of instances performed within one day elapsed time 99.0 
			 (B4) Valid application for CRC: up to despatch of certificate. Percentage of instances Performed within three days elapsed time 98.0 
			 (B5) Valid application for ECRC: up to despatch of Certificate. Percentage of instances performed within four days elapsed time 98.0 
			 (B6a) Certificate enquiries: postal; fax Percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time 99.0 
			 (B6b) Certificate enquiries: internet Percentage of instances performed within one day elapsed time 99.0 
			 (B7) Certificate services complaints Percentage of instances performed within two days elapsed time 99.0 
			 (B8) Certificate disputes Percentage of instances performed within one day elapsed time 100.0 
			 (B9) Replacement Certificates Percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time 99.0 
		
	
	Definitions
	Elapsed time—The aggregate of the elapsed times of the Activities (or Business Processes) (for which responsibility is assigned, in Schedule 2 or otherwise, to the Contractor) performed in the provision of a Service Element, such elapsed times (a) being measured from the Service Start Point to the Service end Point and recorded on a 24 hours clock, seven days a week. Elapsed time measures expressed as a number of days shall be construed as meaning that number of days multiplied by 24 hours. For the avoidance of doubt, Elapsed time shall exclude the duration of cheque clearance processing.
	Criminal Record Certificates (CRC)—Standard Disclosure
	Enhanced Criminal Record Certificate (ECRC)—Enhanced Disclosure.
	Higher Level Certificate (HLC)—Standard and Enhanced Disclosures.

Disclosure Applications (Proof of Identity)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Criminal Records Bureau made of the adequacy of advice about what proofs of identity can be used in disclosure applications.

Hilary Benn: Decisions about the arrangements for checking the identity of disclosure applicants are a matter for the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). In formulating their policy, the Bureau took account of the experience of a number of other organisations, most notably the United Kingdom Passport Service, (UKPS) who have a long and notable record of achievement in this area. The CRB also wished, in line with the Modernising Government agenda, to place less reliance on paper documentation and greater reliance on electronic access to private and public sector databases. It has also sought to depend on face-to-face identity checks by registered bodies wherever possible.

Drug Abstinence Orders

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug abstinence orders have been made by the courts under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.

Bob Ainsworth: Drug abstinence orders (DAO) and drug abstinence requirements (DAR) were made available to the courts covering the three pilot sites, Nottingham, Staffordshire and Hackney on 5 November 2001. As at 28 February 2002, seven drug abstinence orders and 85 drug abstinence requirements have been issued. The pilot programme was extended to a further six sites, Bedford, Blackpool, Doncaster, Torquay, Wirral, and Wrexham and Mold in the summer of 2002. Further outcomes from the pilot sites will be available in the interim evaluation report due in the spring of 2003.

Emergency Planning

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department's officials last met the Scottish Executive to discuss emergency planning.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	Officials from the Civil Contingencies Secretariat and the Scottish Executive meet regularly to discuss contingency planning. Information relating to internal advice and discussion is not disclosed under Exemption 2 and 7(b) of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information".

External Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

David Blunkett: The total cost to the Home Department of using external consultants for the financial year 2001–02 was £21,147,058. The cost in this year includes the cost of establishing the National Probation Directorate and various consultancies on IT business change.

Firearms

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of illegal firearms in circulation in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West of England, (c) Wales and (d) the UK, in the last period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Firearms

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been killed in each of the last six years by firearms during the commissioning of a crime.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 20 January 2003
	The numbers of persons killed by firearms during the act of a crime are not collected centrally. Available published data on the number of recorded homicide offences by shooting in England and Wales are given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of homicide offences by shooting(32) 
		
		
			 1997 58 
			 1997–98 52 
			 1998–99 46 
			 1999–2000 61 
			 2000–01 73 
			 2001–02 96 
		
	
	(32) Homicide figures include shooting by crossbows, and take into account the results of police and court decisions. Therefore, they may not necessarily match the number of firearm homicides initially recorded. Data are as at 8 October 2002; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.
	These homicide offences were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.

Gun Control

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to control the increase in the use of guns; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation in controlling the illegal use of firearms.

Bob Ainsworth: We have announced our intention to introduce a minimum five-year sentence for those convicted, on indictment, of possessing or distributing prohibited weapons. We will also be proposing additional powers to deal with certain types of gunwhich are vulnerable to conversion to fire live ammunition.
	We will also bring in legislation to prevent anyone from carrying a replica or an air weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse. We intend to raise the age limit at which young people can acquire and use air weapons unsupervised from 14 to 17.
	The Government is constantly assessing and reviewing the effectiveness of firearms legislation, and will continue to do so.

Gun Crime

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed by guns in Wales in (i) 2002 and (ii) each of the previous five years.

Bob Ainsworth: Available published data on the number of recorded homicide offences in which firearms were reported to have been used in Wales, are given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of homicide offences involving firearms 
		
		
			 1996 1 
			 1997 2 
			 1997–98 1 
			 1998–99 0 
			 1999–2000 0 
			 2000–01 1 
		
	
	These firearms offences were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter. Figures for injuries are not available.

Immigration

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional copies of correspondence he has asked hon. Members to provide in the last 12 months relating to (a) immigration and nationality issues and (b) other issues.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the amount of additional copies of correspondence sought is not kept. Thorough and effective procedures are in place to ensure that correspondence is tracked to avoid the necessity of requesting duplicate copies. The volume of correspondence received by the Home Office is large and, regrettably, on occasions individual letters may become detached from the files. However, this is not a common occurrence, and when it happens we recognise that it causes inconvenience and delay and reflects poorly on the high standard of service that we normally provide. We will shortly be introducing an electronic correspondence tracking system that will prevent the need for correspondence to be handled physically, and which will mean that access to all letters is immediate and complete.

Immigration

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he takes to trace failed asylum seekers who have disappeared.

Beverley Hughes: Where a person has left a control area without permission, escaped from detention or failed to comply with the terms of their reporting conditions, their details will be noted and posted internally within the Immigration Service and with the police. If there is reason to believe that a person is at their last known address, or if fresh intelligence comes to light, immigration officers will undertake a visit. In cases where the person concerned is considered a threat to UK national security, then the appropriate agencies will be involved.
	In addition, as part of the improvements in contact management as detailed in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, entitlement to the National Asylum Support Service support will be conditional on asylum seekers reporting as required. The Immigration Service will seek to identify and locate those who have lost contact with the Home Office.

Lunar House

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were queuing at the public caller unit of Lunar House at 8 am on (a) 6 January, (b) 7 January and (c) 8 January; and how many people were turned away on each day without having their applications dealt with.

Beverley Hughes: There are two public offices at Croydon, the first being that of the Public Enquiry Office (PEO), which enters through the main entrance at the front of Lunar House.
	There are no records kept of the numbers of those who are initially queuing for the PEO when it opens at 8 am but the covered waiting area can hold between 500 and 600 people at any one time. However, between 6 and 8 January 2003 respectively there were 1,146, 1,153 and 827 people who attended PEO, of which 63, 80 and 72 people on each respective day could not have their cases dealt with immediately.
	The other queue is that of the Asylum Screening Unit (ASU), which currently enters through a temporary entrance at the rear of the building. According to figures initially compiled for ASU management, at 8 am on 6 and 7 January there were respectively 120 and 300 people waiting in the ASU queue. On 8 January, the date of the introduction of new asylum support arrangements, 80 applicants were waiting in the queue at 8 am. Around 75 applicants (most with addresses) were asked to return the following day.

Motoring Offences

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the past 12 months magistrates courts and crown courts have not imposed automatic driving bans on motorists guilty of offences which individually or collectively qualify for a disqualification; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The available information concerning individual offences which qualify for an automatic driving ban, is shown in the table. Data for 2001 will be available in February.
	The Home Office Court Proceedings Database does not include information on cases where the motorist could have been disqualified under the penalty points system but was not.
	
		Driving licence endorsements and disqualifications imposed at the -- magistrates courts and the Crown Court by offences subject to obligatory disqualification ordersEngland and Wales 2000Number of offences
		
			  Magistrates courts  
			 Offence type Total sentenced Endorsements without disqualification(33) Total disqualifications imposed Results not reported on(34) 
		
		
			 Causing death or bodily harm: 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 0 0 0 0 
			 Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs 0 0 0 0 
			 Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking 3 0 3 0 
			 Dangerous driving 3,108 150 2,847 111 
			  
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs: 
			 Unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) 1,729 148 1,535 46 
			 Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 70,619 1,047 68,923 649 
			  
			 Unauthorised taking or theft of vehicle: 
			 Aggravated vehicle taking: 6,527 429 5,336 762 
			 Driving dangerously, causing injury or damage 
			  
			 Total 81,986 1,774 78,644 1,568 
		
	
	
		England and Wales 2000 Number of offences 
		
			  Crown courts  
			 Offence type Total sentenced Endorsements without disqualification(33) Total disqualifications imposed Results not reported on(34) 
		
		
			 Causing death or bodily harm: 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 210 26 180 4 
			 Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs 57 5 50 2 
			 Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking 18 3 13 2 
			 Dangerous driving 2,142 267 1,805 70 
			  
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs: 
			 Unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) 74 29 35 10 
			 Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 628 186 341 101 
			  
			 Unauthorised taking or theft of vehicle: 
			 Aggravated vehicle taking: 
			 Driving dangerously, causing injury or damage 1,614 212 1,260 142 
			  
			 Total 4,743 738 3,684 331 
		
	
	
		England and Wales 2000 Number of offences 
		
			  All courts  
			 Offence type Total sentenced Endorsements without disqualification(33) Total disqualifications imposed Results not reported on(34) 
		
		
			  
			 Causing death or bodily harm: 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 210 26 180 4 
			 Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs 57 5 50 2 
			 Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking 21 3 16 2 
			 Dangerous driving 5,250 417 4,652 181 
			  
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs: 
			 Unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) 1,803 177 1,570 56 
			 Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 71,247 1,233 69,264 750 
			  
			 Unauthorised taking or theft of vehicle: 
			 Aggravated vehicle taking: 
			 Driving dangerously, causing injury or damage 8,141 641 6,596 904 
			  
			 Total 86,729 2,502 82,328 1,899 
		
	
	(33) Concurrent endorsements.
	(34) Information not reported. Includes cases where neither disqualification or endorsement given for 'special reasons' and cases where a disqualification or endorsement was given but not recorded.

Prison Statistics

Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the annual prison statistics.

Hilary Benn: Prison Statistics England and Wales 2001 is currently planned for publication in February 2003. A copy will be placed in the Library when it is published.
	Prison Statistics England and Wales 2002 is planned for publication in late 2003.

Prisoner Demographics

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison in England and Wales in each year since 1992; how many were (a) below 18 years of age and (b) women; of the women in prison, how many were pregnant when they were convicted; how many mothers are in prison with their children; and which prisons have mother and child facilities.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 20 January 2003
	The table provides information on the prison population, the number of females, and the number of juveniles held in England and Wales on the 30 June since 1992.
	
		
			 Year Prison population Female prison population Juvenile prison population 
		
		
			 1992 46,832 1,555 1,328 
			 1993 44,246 1,580 1,304 
			 1994 48,929 1,804 1,526 
			 1995 51,086 1,998 1,675 
			 1996 55,256 2,305 2,093 
			 1997 61,467 2,672 2,479 
			 1998 65,727 3,120 2,466 
			 1999 64,529 3,207 2,422 
			 2000 65,194 3,355 2,434 
			 2001 66,403 3,713 2,563 
			 2002 71,218 4,394 2,615 
		
	
	The number of women that were pregnant when convicted is not known.
	At the week beginning 6 January 2003, there were 54 mothers and 50 babies/children held in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs).
	There are currently four prisons with MBUs. These are Holloway, New Hall, Styal and Askham Grange. There are also plans to build further units at Askham Grange and Eastwood Park.

Proceeds of Crime Act

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the proposed commencement date is for the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Bob Ainsworth: Commencement dates for the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are as follows:
	The cash recovery provisions in Part 5 of the Act came into force on 30 December 2002. Part 1 of the Act, which formally establishes the Assets Recovery Agency, came into force on 13 January.
	The provisions of the Act relating to civil recovery, taxation of the proceeds of crime, money laundering, financial investigation powers and information gateways (the rest of Part 5 and Parts 6, 7, 8 and 10 of the Act) will come into force in February. The Agency will then become operational.
	We plan that the new powers of criminal confiscation (Parts 2, 3, 4 and 9) will come into force in March, along with the provisions on enforcement in different parts of the United Kingdom in Part 11. This will leave the provisions relating to international co-operation in Part 11, which we hope to commence in May.

Protection from Harassment Act

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women are imprisoned under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; and how many of those are parents seeking contact with children.

Hilary Benn: The population of men and women in prison sentenced under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 England and Wales, is not available.
	The number of persons sentenced to immediate custody in 2001 under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 England and Wales, was 632 men and 29 women.
	Information on how many of those are parents seeking contact with children is not available.

Public Service Agreements

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his autumn departmental reports on public service agreement targets; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: I expect the Autumn Performance Report for the Home Department to be published by the end of January or shortly thereafter.

Public Service Agreements

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Public Service Agreement targets the Home Office has.

David Blunkett: The Home Office has 10 targets in its Public Service Agreement.
	More detail on these targets can be found on the Treasury website www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Spending_ Review/spend_sr02/psa/spend_sr02_psahome.cfm

Road Deaths

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been killed in each of the last six years by motorists who have subsequently been charged with a motoring offence.

Peter Ainsworth: holding answer 20 January 2003
	Information on the persons charged is not collected centrally. Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database on total number of proceedings for offences where a motorist caused death is shown in table 1. Figures for the number of people killed in these cases are not collected. Data for 2001 will be available in February.
	The numbers of fatalities in road accidents in England and Wales for 1998 to 2001 are given in table 2.
	
		Table 1: Total proceedings at magistrates' courts by offence type -- England and Wales 1995 to 2000
		
			  Number of offences  
			 Offence type 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 305 333 376 335 329 359 
			 Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs 51 63 78 80 63 72 
			 Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking 13 27 28 35 25 34 
			 Total 369 423 482 450 417 465 
		
	
	
		Table 2—Road fatalities in accidents involving at least one car -- England and Wales
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Number of casualties 2,630 2,674 2,666 2,492 2,552 2,458 2,484 
		
	
	Source:
	Department for Transport

Female Fine Defaulters

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were jailed for failing to pay fines in (a) 2002 and (b) 1997.

Hilary Benn: The number of female fine defaulters received into prisons in England and Wales in 2001 (the latest complete year for which data is available) was 73, and in 1997 was 372.

Youth Crime

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to estimate, for each Young Offenders Institution in England and Wales, (a) the number of Youth Offending Teams that each Youth Offenders Institution links with and (b) the average distance in miles from the youth offenders institution of each of the Youth Offending Teams with which it has links.

Hilary Benn: We understand from the Youth Justice Board (a) that Young Offender Institutions have links with an average of 27 Youth Offending Teams and (b) that the average distance between them is 44 miles.